


A Little Less Normal

by ClaraxBarton



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 11:32:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 139,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6983200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaraxBarton/pseuds/ClaraxBarton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trowa Barton starts a new job and intends to start a new life, free of complications like falling in love with your boss. But life doesn't go as planned, and Trowa struggles to find balance between work, love, and handsome strangers. AU.</p>
<p>*moving over from ff.net. Originally published September 20, 2011</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Title: **A Little Less Normal**  
Category: Anime/Manga » Gundam Wing/AC  
Author: Clara Barton  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M  
Genre: Romance/Drama  
Published: 05-19-11, Updated: 09-20-11  
Chapters: 20, Words: 143,532

* * *

**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter I**

The insistent buzzing of his alarm finally penetrated Trowa's sleep fogged brain. He reached over the naked man beside him to turn off the alarm, and then lay back down with a groan. It was seven a.m. and he had only managed to fall asleep at three.

He slanted a look over at the naked man, taking in the long expanse of tan, muscled flesh and the shock of blonde hair that was almost, but not quite, white. Trowa frowned as he desperately tried to remember the man's name. He couldn't, which wasn't surprising with the amount of alcohol that he had consumed last night.

As if he could feel the weight of Trowa's gaze, the man stirred and blinked open sleepy blue eyes. He grinned at Trowa.

"Morning."

Trowa found himself smiling back at the almost familiar face.

"Morning," he repeated stupidly.

The other man laughed and stretched, his morning erection bouncing proactively under the sheets. Trowa forced his gaze away from the sight when the man laughed again.

"Listen, last night was great. Thanks for letting me sleep over." He rose from the bed and started to look for his clothes.

Trowa blinked in surprise, taken aback by the hurried manner in which the man started to dress.

"Um – I've got food in the fridge, orange juice, if you wanted breakfast?"

The man shook his head.

"No thanks, I should run."

"You're welcome to use my shower."

The man shook his head again.

"Nope, got one back at my place." He smiled at Trowa as he pulled on his jeans. Trowa watched despondently as more and more of the man's body was covered by clothing.

"So –"

"Look, seriously, I had a great time. Take care of yourself, okay? Maybe I'll see you around." He winked at Trowa, and then left the bedroom. A moment later, Trowa heard the slam of his front door. And then he was alone.

Again.

He sighed and lay back down. It was his own fault, he knew. A one night stand wasn't exactly the way to start a meaningful relationship. But even so, Trowa had felt a slight connection with…. Whatever his name had been. He had even set his alarm early enough so that they could have breakfast, maybe more sex, before he had to get ready for his job interview that morning.

Which unleashed a new set of thoughts in his mind.

Trowa had only moved to New York last week, and his apartment reflected this – boxes stacked everywhere, Ikea furniture in various states of construction or unwrapping. This move, and this new job opportunity, had a potential to change his life, and Trowa still couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

His had quit his previous job just two weeks ago, after it became painfully obvious that while he, Trowa, was desperately in love with his boss, said boss did not return those feelings.

So now he was a resident of New York City, having spent seven nights in a nearly empty apartment with seven different men, each of whom looked as much like Trowa's old boss as possible. And each of whom left him every morning.

He knew it wasn't a very productive cycle, but Trowa had a penchant for self-destruction, as his sister had often said.

Trowa groaned and sat up.

He also had a penchant for success. And he wanted this new job. So, he pushed his self-pity and self-loathing to the back of his mind and prepared to face the day.

* * *

An hour later, Trowa left his apartment wearing his second best suit. Second best, because his sister had a superstition about wearing your absolute best clothes to important events – she believed that it brought on bad luck because it showed hubris. Since his sister had practically raised him, Trowa had also become ingrained with the same belief. And since he had already had a bad start to the morning, he certainly wasn't about to risk the wrath of the heavens.

He walked to the nearest subway station and took the car headed to midtown. He got off several blocks from his interview location and made his way to the nearest Starbucks for his second cup of coffee.

He left the Starbucks fifteen minutes later, soy latte clutched in one hand, briefcase in the other, and continued his brisk walk towards midtown. He took advantage of the stop sign at a crosswalk to take a few sips from his coffee and hummed in appreciation. The sign turned to walk, and he moved forward with the other pedestrians. He had just stepped up to the opposite curb when he was shoved back into the street, his coffee coating his chest and crotch in a scalding flood.

Trowa bit his tongue to keep from shouting out in pain and anger, and only just managed to avoid falling over into the street.

This only confirmed his theory that God hated him. A lot. He decided that, from then on, he could wear his best suit whenever he wanted to. Wearing his second best clearly wasn't worth it.

"What – hey! Oh shit, I am so fucking sorry."

Trowa scanned the ground and saw his briefcase laying in the gutter. He reached down, ignoring the voice, and grabbed it.

"Look, I wasn't paying attention and – Christ, please tell me that that coffee was cold or something because you got soaked."

The voice belonged to a tall man, dressed in jeans, a navy vest, and a gray button up shirt, the top button of which was unbuttoned. A man whose face momentarily distracted Trowa from his current situation. He had very lightly tanned skin and sharp features, including a strong jaw line and wide lips. His eyes were a curious shade of blue that was nearly indigo, half hidden by long, messy brown bangs. He was breathtaking. And if he wasn't the source of Trowa's current pain, he might have taken longer to stare at him. As it was…

"Um… are you okay?" The man was speaking again, and Trowa made himself focus.

"Fine," he ground out and started to walk past him.

A hand grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Listen – you are completely covered in coffee. Where are you headed? Anywhere important?" The man seemed genuinely concerned.

"Job interview," Trowa said reluctantly after a moment of silence.

The man winced.

"And this would be a great first impression." He scanned the streets and then brightened. "Look, Barney's is just a few blocks down – let me buy you a new suit."

Trowa arched an eyebrow at the magnanimous offer.

"Gotta balance out my karma," the man explained. "If you showed up like that, no way you would get your job, and then you'd probably end up homeless and get infected with cholera and die. And then that would be on my head."

"Cholera?" Trowa asked, amused despite himself.

"Absolutely. It's on the rise, you know. People just don't pay attention to contagious diseases like they should."

Trowa snorted and rolled his eyes. He looked at his watch. Still thirty minutes before his interview. If he wanted to live dangerously, he might be able to make it back to his apartment and change, and then maybe get to the address a minute or so late. If he took a cab. He looked back at the grinning maniac in front of him.

"If you insist – "

"I do! And seriously, I'm really, really sorry." The man started walking, and Trowa fell into step beside him. It was then that Trowa noticed the braid of hair that extended halfway down the other man's back.

"I'm Duo Maxwell, by the way." He held out a hand, still walking.

Trowa switched his briefcase to his other hand and shook Duo's.

"Trowa Barton."

Duo nodded. "Nice to meet you. Probably nicer for me than you, but, well…." He shrugged.

Trowa felt equally amused and exasperated. He wondered if Duo was like this all of the time.

"So, Trowa, what do you do?"

"I'm a lawyer."

"Ah, what kind of law?" Duo appeared genuinely interested, which surprised Trowa. In his experience, the L word usually led to a change of subject.

"Corporate. I deal mostly with… personal asset management."

"Personal asset management? That sounds like a euphemism for covering your client's asses."

Trowa felt his lips twitch.

"Something like that, yes."

Duo nodded sagely. "Times like these, I imagine there's a lot of work for folks like you."

Trowa debated whether or not to be offended by that statement, but before he could decide, Duo was off again.

"Still, work is work, I guess. So what do you really want to do?"

Trowa scowled. "What makes you think I'm not already doing it?"

Duo waved a hand in dismissal. "If you loved your job, you wouldn't have looked so guarded when you told me you were a lawyer. AND if you enjoyed your career in CYA then you definitely wouldn't be walking to a job interview – you'd have a driver and a nice black Rolls-Royce, AND you wouldn't be willing to go out for a drink with me tonight."

It took Trowa a moment to catch up with Duo's line of reasoning, and by that time, they had reached Barney's. Duo ushered him inside, seeming to have switched tracks again, their previous conversation forgotten.

Trowa followed Duo through the store, feeling like an awkward, out of place tourist as Duo navigated the floors and brought them up to the men's suits.

"Hey! Travis! I have an emergency!" Duo raised a hand and flagged down one of the impeccably dressed Barney's sales associates.

Travis approached them with a smile.

"Duo! What kind of emergency, you look great, and –oh. I see." He looked over Trowa's soaked suit and then turned back to Duo with a smirk.

"Don't start," Duo said, holding up a hand in warning. "My new friend here had a little accident… which I might be entirely responsible for, and needs a new suit for a job interview."

"Which starts in twenty minutes," Trowa added after a glance at his watch.

"Hm, no problem. Let's see…" Travis looked over Trowa in a considering fashion. " We will definitely stay away from black… and brown. I know it's in right now, but…" Travis wandered off, talking to himself.

"He's the best," Duo assured Trowa after taking in his skeptical look. "So… back to you. What's the dream job?"

Trowa shrugged. "I don't have a dream _job_ really. I just want to make enough to live a decent life."

"Right…"

"It's just work."

"Sure, when it's the wrong work. You gotta do what you love, man, or you'll wind up – ah! Nice, Trav!" Duo stopped midsentence and reached out to run a hand over the suit that Travis presented to Trowa.

It was a deep gray wool, with a slight tweed look to it. Travis had also brought forth a white dress shirt and a sage green tie.

"It's a bit understated, but I think it will make an impression," Travis explained. "The jacket is a 40 Long, the trousers 32x 36."

"Yeah," Trowa agreed, surprised that Travis had been able to guess his measurements.

"Try it on," Duo instructed.

Trowa obediently followed Travis to a fitting room and removed his soiled suit, scowling at the feeling of his wet shirt and trousers as he pulled them away from his skin. His boxers and undershirt were molded to his body, however, and he did not want to put on another suit over them.

"Um…"

"Here you are," Travis opened the door slightly and held out a shirt and a pair of boxer briefs. Trowa gratefully accepted them and shucked out of his own.

Once he was dressed, he took a moment to admire himself in the mirror. The suit color was understated, but the tie emphasized his eyes without seeming obvious, and the whole ensemble was clean and professional. Trowa thought he looked better now than he had when he left his apartment an hour ago.

He stepped out of the dressing room and Duo let out a low, appreciative whistle.

"Nicely done, Trav. He looked great before… but this is excellent work."

Travis beamed from the praise, even while Duo smirked at Trowa.

"Well, looks like our work here is done. Put it on my account, will ya?"

"One moment," Travis said. He disappeared and then came back almost instantly with a bag, he put Trowa's dirty suit inside and held it out.

Duo grabbed it before Trowa could.

"Thanks!"

Duo started walking out of the store, forcing Trowa to follow him.

"Thanks for the suit – but I've got to run to this interview."

"No sweat. Thanks for taking my clumsiness in stride so easily!"

Duo made no attempt to give back the bag with Trowa's suit in it.

"I need to go," Trowa said again.

Duo grinned.

"Great. Well good luck, okay?"

"Um, my suit?"

"Oh yeah! Look, I'll get this dry cleaned and then give it back to you. Tonight, say 7? I'll meet you at the Blue Martini."

Duo looked confident and it irritated Trowa.

"I'm not really interested in – "

"One drink. Then I will feel that I've made amends. Promise." Duo held his hand over his heart, still grinning.

Trowa tried to stare him down, but Duo was immovable.

"Fine."

"Excellent. See ya later!"

And with that, Duo merged back into the pedestrian traffic.

Trowa watched him for a moment, then shook himself and started back towards his interview.

If the morning's events thus far were any indication, he was likely going to be in for a hellish time.

* * *

After waiting in the reception area for nearly an half an hour, Trowa was finally ushered into the office of his potential employer.

He had used the time to mentally review what he knew about the company he hoped to work for.

Yuy Incorporated was one of the largest and most successful investment firms in the world. They had holdings in real estate, finance, steel, oil, and a growing interest in alternative energy production. It was a company that had been founded by Odin Lowe Yuy forty years ago, when that man immigrated to New York City from his native Tokyo. He had, with the help of his American wife's influence and connections, managed to become a multi-millionaire almost overnight. His success had been legendary. Almost as legendary as his infamously callous business and personal relationships. One of those relationships, that with his son, Heero Yuy, was a common fixture in the Wall Street Journal, business magazines, and even a few issues of Time and the New Yorker. The two had a strained relationship at best, with the son attempting to push the company in a completely different direction than his father's dream of apparent world domination. Heero, on the other hand, had made it clear through numerous interviews that he wanted Yuy Inc. to become a haven for researchers and developers who wanted to make the world a better place, through renewable energy and sustainable manufacturing and design.

When Odin Lowe Yuy had died suddenly six days ago, it had ground the business world to a halt for nearly a full day until Heero, who had been banished to the company's Chinese headquarters in Macau, could return to New York and claim the reins of the mighty empire.

And now, Trowa was about to interview for the position of Heero Yuy's legal advisor, his 'personal asset manager', as he had put it for Duo only a short while ago.

It was a large office, filled with imposing furniture and decorative elements that looked designed to intimidate guests. Trowa smirked. With the reputation attached to this company, he had no doubt that that was the intent.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," the man behind the massive desk in the center of the room said as he rose.

Trowa took a moment to inspect the man.

He was two or three inches shorter than Trowa, with dark, messy hair and piercing blue eyes set at a slight tilt, giving him an exotic air. He was impeccably dressed in a black suit, tie, and shirt. The suit fit him well and showed off a trim physique. He was, by Trowa's – and anyone's, really – standards devastatingly handsome. He looked self-assured, and Trowa had no doubt that he knew just how handsome he was.

"It was no trouble," Trowa assured him and shook the proffered hand. The handshake was quick and firm, and Trowa forced himself not to read into it.

"Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, sit." Heero gestured not to the chair in front of his desk, but to the two armchairs in one corner of the room.

Trowa followed him over and sat in one while Heero sat in the other.

"Why do you want to work for me?" Heero asked a second after Trowa had sat, catching him completely off guard.

He took a moment to consider his response. Heero was well known for being brusque and honest, so Trowa decided to take that route.

"I would never have interviewed for this position with your father, but I like the direction you are trying to take this company, and I can appreciate the challenges you will face from your board, your peers, and, let's be honest, the government. Yuy Inc. has made a lot of people a lot of money, and you are proposing to revolutionize the way that people live. You won't be seeing a lot of profit, at first, and your board is going to resent that. You will likely have legal attacks from them, and in the next few months and even years, there are bound to be cases brought against you or your late father as people try to destroy his legacy. And I like a good challenge."

Trowa held his breath as he waited for Heero's reaction. His gut told him it was the right answer, but the other man's face was unreadable.

"You worked for Winner Enterprises for two years."

"Yes." Trowa wasn't about to elaborate unless prompted.

"And you left two weeks ago. Why?"

Even though he had been expecting this question, Trowa was still uncomfortable as he answered.

"Quatre Winner is an amazing person, and I admire him greatly. But, frankly, I missed living in the States. I have no problem travelling for work, but I was tired of living in Qatar and I missed my family." It wasn't precisely a lie, but it certainly wasn't the truth.

"Family?"

"My sister and her kids. Probably as close as I will ever get to having a family."

"Hn." Heero looked thoughtful, and his intense gaze pierced Trowa, as though he were trying to read his mind.

"Quatre Winner speaks very highly of you."

Trowa remained silent.

"You started working for him… the day his father died, correct?"

Trowa nodded.

"Is this a habit of yours? Move in when the old guard dies and help the son take over the family business?"

Trowa shrugged.

"It's not an intentional habit. I knew Mr. Winner from school, and I was happy to assist him as he transitioned into a leadership role with his company."

"What assurances do I have that you aren't still working for him now? Maybe you're a mole, sent here to acquire my financial plans and uncover my assets."

"If you really thought that was a possibility you wouldn't have bothered with this interview. Your time is too valuable to waste. As for assurances, I can't offer you any other than to say that I'm an honorable man, as is Quatre Winner. He certainly sees your company as a rival, but you are a challenge to him, and not a threat. His exact words to men when I told him I wanted this job."

"Hn." Another long pause as Heero continued to stare at him.

"My father and I… did not have the most easy relationship. There is quite a bit of resentment towards me from my board, as you guessed, and these next few months are going to involve long hours of work. And the months after that… will also involve long hours of work."

"I know what kind of hours it takes to keep up with an international schedule, I am prepared," Trowa responded.

"You don't elaborate much."

"I do when necessary. I'm not… chatty. If you want a personal advisor who is, then you don't want me."

Heero openly smiled at that statement, and Trowa was amazed by how it transformed the man's face.

"And you're direct. Two qualities I appreciate. But you are… very young."

"I'm twenty-nine, which, from your advanced age of thirty-one might seem young, but I was at the top of my class at Brown, and again at Harvard Law. I have impeccable references from my time with Mr. Winner, and before that with one of Paris' leading law firms. It's true that I don't have thirty years of experience, but that also means that I don't have thirty years of baggage."

Heero was silent for a long moment and Trowa wondered if perhaps he shouldn't have teased him about his age.

"As my personal asset manager, it would be your job to protect me from any litigation – personal or professional – and also to act as an advisor in reference to my board and career. My family is… rather high maintenance, and you would be expected to act as legal counsel regarding their involvement in the company as well."

Trowa nodded in acknowledgement of this. He doubted that Heero's family was more complicated than Quatre's had been – the youngest of seventeen children, Quatre had had sixteen older sisters and 8 step-mothers to contend with.

"I called Quatre yesterday. We are also friends from school – prep school. He told me I would be insane not to hire you. He also said that, in his mind, you only had one flaw."

Trowa felt the blood rush from his face. There was no way Quatre would have told a potential employer that Trowa had fallen in love with Quatre the first day they met and spent the next eleven years worshipping him.

"He said that once you committed yourself to a cause, a situation, a person, you did everything in your power to protect that commitment, even at the cost of your own personal gain."

Which, Trowa reflected, was a nice way of saying the same thing. He didn't know if Heero wanted him to comment, so he remained silent and held the other man's gaze. After a moment, Heero nodded.

"Thank you for your time this morning."

Heero rose to his feet, signaling the end of the interview.

Trowa also stood, wondering if a fifteen minute interview was a new low record for himself.

"I will be in touch," Heero said, and walked back to his desk and sat behind it, not bothering to look at Trowa.

As he left the office, Trowa's mind replayed the interview, wondering where he had gone wrong.

He was back on the street and headed towards Central Park when his phone rang. He frowned at the unknown number.

"Trowa Barton."

"Yes, Mr. Barton, this is Sherisse Turner, is this a convenient time?"

"For?" The name was completely unfamiliar to him.

"Oh, yes, to discuss the details of your contract? Mr. Yuy wanted me to call as soon as possible. He would like to you start tomorrow, if possible." There was a pause. "Is that possible, Mr. Barton?"

"Wait, I got the job?"

"Oh yes, of course! You were the only one Mr. Yuy didn't throw out after five minutes! He must really be impressed with you!"

Trowa reflected on that. Fifteen minutes meant that Heero was impressed with him?

"Now is fine."

"I'm sorry?"

"To discuss the contract."

"Oh! Of course! I will email over our standard non-disclosure forms, and our basic contract. I'm sure that you will redraft it to your preferences. When might I expect to see a draft to give to Mr. Yuy?"

"I will have a draft over within the hour," Trowa assured her and held up a hand to flag down a cab."

"Excellent. I will let him know. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Mr. Barton!"

Trowa settled in the back of a cab and gave the driver his address after ending the call.

His phone rang again, and this time Trowa recognized the number. He couldn't help the smile on his face as he answered.

"Trowa Barton here, important lawyer and recently hired litigator for Yuy Inc."

"You got the job."

"Of course I got the job. With such a glowing reference from you, how could I not?"

"No, you got the job because you're perfect for it. I knew you and Heero would hit it off." There was a slight, wistful tone to the voice on the phone.

"Quatre –"

"I'm happy for you, Trowa. And I miss you. Your replacement is…nothing like you."

Trowa bit down on his tongue to keep from saying that he also missed Quatre.

"I thought you liked Dorothy?"

"I do, I do. But she's… a bit crazy. And not in the charming, anal-retentive way that you are."

"Charmingly anal retentive and crazy? Is that how you described me to Yuy?"

"Of course! I had to be honest." There was a moment's pause, and then Quatre asked, with a mischievous tone, "what did you think of him?"

"I admire him… what he's trying to do with the company."

"No, what did you think of HIM?"

"What do you mean, what did I – Quatre, what exactly are you asking me?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just…well, I know that Heero is gay, and I know that he's handsome, and – "

"And you told me to apply for this job because you wanted to set me up with my boss? Are you insane?"

"Look who's talking!"

Trowa clenched his jaw at the words. He supposed it was fair for Quatre to assume that, because Trowa had fallen in love with him, he would naturally be attracted to any handsome man who happened to be his employer. To be fair, Trowa did find Heero attractive. And he admired what he was trying to do with Yuy Inc. But he hadn't felt the instant connection that he had with Quatre when they first met.

"That's not what I meant," Quatre said, as if reading his thoughts. "I just… I want you to be happy, Trowa. And I can't make you happy."

"I know." He swallowed. "I want you to be happy too."

"I wish things were different, Trowa, but –"

"Quatre. We've been through this already. You don't have to apologize for – for anything."

"No, but I do have to apologize for breaking my best friend's heart."

Trowa sighed and leaned back against the seat in the cab. This was why he had such a hard time forgetting about Quatre – he was perhaps the most unforgettable person Trowa had ever met. That thought reminded him of his encounter with Duo Maxwell that morning.

"I've got a date tonight, actually," Trowa told him. He didn't mention the string of Quatre look-alikes that had populated his bed for the past week, because he knew that would be too pathetic, even from him.

"With Heero?"

"No, Quatre. I'm not going to get involved with my boss, not again. No, it's someone I… ran into this morning on my way to the interview."

"Ran into? An old classmate or something?"

So Trowa told him the story of meeting Duo, finishing just as the cab pulled up to his apartment building.

Trowa handed over the fair and a tip and then exited the cab to the sound of Quatre's laughter.

"I like the way this guy thinks!"

"So, forget about your matchmaking attempts with Heero Yuy and go after a man who scalded me with coffee?"

"He did buy you a new suit."

"Second degree burns, Winner. All over my chest."

"Well, when you put it that way, maybe not. I've got to go to a meeting, email me and let me know how the date goes! Make sure you don't order anything hot, flaming, or toxic!"

"Take care," Trowa said with a grin.

"You too, friend Trowa." Friend Trowa. It was what Quatre had been calling him since they met as freshmen at Brown. It was as endearing as it was frustrating, because Trowa knew that he would never be anything more. And he also knew that he would likely never stop wanting to be more.

* * *

Trowa arrived at the Blue Martini at 6:50 that night, dressed in dark, tight jeans and and a long sleeved, forest green henley shirt. He had left it unbuttoned and pushed the sleeves up to his elbows. He knew he looked good, but casually so. Not as if he had spent time on his appearance.

He had arrived early so he could scout out the restaurant and find a public, crowded place to sit. His plans were thwarted, however, when he spotted Duo already inside, at the bar, nursing a beer. Duo had also changed. He now wore dark jeans and a black, v-neck sweater. There was a hint of a white undershirt at the collar.

Duo spotted him, and nodded in greeting.

Trowa waited at the front of the restaurant while Duo paid his tab and came towards him, grinning.

"Hey. You look good."

"So you do," Trowa returned the compliment. Duo shrugged, still grinning, and nodded at the hostess.

"We're all set," he said.

"Follow me, Mr. Maxwell." She started to walk off, and Duo followed her. After a slight hesitation, Trowa did as well.

The woman led them to a fairly secluded corner of the restaurant, and gestured to a table in front of a floor to ceiling aquarium that stretched the length of the back wall, and gave the restaurant part of its name.

Trowa sat down across from Duo, but he was distracted by the multitude of fish swimming in the aquarium.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Duo said and nodded at the wall.

"It must cost a fortune to keep it filtered and stocked," Trowa mused.

Duo chuckled.

"I know you agreed to drinks, but any chance you'd like dinner as well? My day ran late and I haven't had the chance to eat yet."

Trowa arched an eyebrow at the excuse, wondering if Duo had manufactured it. However, he had spent the afternoon putting together the rest of his Ikea furniture, and hadn't had time to eat either. By the time he had finished his coffee table it was time to dress and meet Duo.

"Why do I feel like making a deal with you is like making a deal with the devil?" Trowa mused aloud.

"Probably because I'm incredibly handsome and charming. Irresistible, I think, is the way I've been described," Duo answered back in apparent sincerity.

Trowa's lips formed into a smile without his consent. Duo Maxwell was certainly possessed of enormous self-respect. But somehow it wasn't as annoying as it should have been.

A waitress appeared and to take their drink orders.

"Amstel," Duo said.

"The same," Trowa said when she looked at him.

"No martini?" Duo asked.

"I've never been a fan of vermouth," Trowa said with a shrug.

"I've never been a fan of the glasses," Duo confessed. "I'm convinced that it's going to fall over at any second."

"Good thing for me that you didn't risk it, then," Trowa said. "Most stores close soon, and I doubt you'd be able to find me new clothes."

Duo laughed. "Maybe this time I wouldn't shell out for a new wardrobe – might just force you to go around without your clothes on instead."

There was heat in Duo's indigo gaze as he looked over Trowa's torso.

"Hey – that reminds me. How was the interview?" Duo seemed to have a knack for changing conversation just as the sexual innuendo became too obvious, and Trowa was grateful for it.

"It went well. I got the job."

"Congrats! I'll bet it was because of the suit, right?"

"Undoubtedly. I walked in and he threw out my resume after looking at me. He said that there was no way a man with such good taste wouldn't be perfect for the job."

Duo grinned and saluted him with a water glass.

"You never told me what you do," Trowa pointed out.

"I'm a teacher. I work at a charter school in the Bronx. It's for low income families. Gives the kids a chance to get a decent education and not have to worry about being shot or stabbed at a public school." There was passion in Duo's voice.

"I'm guessing it's your dream job."

"Definitely. I'm obsessed with it. I want all of those kids to have a chance to make something of their lives."

The waitress returned with their drinks and took their dinner orders – chicken Marsala for Trowa and a steak for Duo.

"I just can't eat fish here," Duo confessed, referring to the fact that half of the menu featured fish dishes.

Trowa nodded in agreement.

"I mean, they're watching you," Duo jerked his head to indicate the aquarium behind them, " – they know that you're eating their cousin or something."

Trowa snorted a laugh at that.

"So, what do you do when you aren't managing personal assets?" Duo asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

Trowa shrugged.

"I don't have a lot of free time, actually, with my line of work. Personal emergencies always seem to pop up, so it's hard to have any steady hobbies."

"Fair enough. I bet corporate sharks don't like to keep their law breaking to a strict nine to five scheule. Are you from the city?"

Trowa shook his head.

"No, I'm originally from Portland – Maine. I just moved here last week."

"Born and raised here, myself. Must be an adjustment coming from a smaller town."

Trowa shrugged.

"Not the first time I've lived in a big city," he explained.

"Oh? Travel a lot?"

"I lived in Paris for a few years, and I just moved here from Abu Dhabi. That was an adjustment."

Duo whistled softly.

"I can imagine. Did you enjoy Paris?"

"Absolutely. It was the best three years of my life."

Duo grinned.

"So why'd you leave? Especially for somewhere as different as Abu Dhabi?"

"Work. Well, a favor for a friend. For work." As stupid as it sounded, it was definitely better than confessing that he had abandoned his perfect job, his amazing apartment overlooking the Seine, his friends, and even his cat to jump at the chance to be near Quatre again.

"Uh huh. Right. Well, I guess Abu Dhabi had… some perks."

"Is that disdain I detect in your voice?"

Duo looked rueful.

"A little, yeah. I'm not a fan of their city planning, to start off with, and I definitely have problems with their government."

"I won't argue with that. My friend… well, between his family, his religion, his job, and the government it was more or less impossible for him to be the person he wanted to be. I'm not sorry to be gone from there."

"Sorry to leave him, though?" Duo asked with more insight that Trowa would have expected.

He nodded, but didn't elaborate.

A moment later their food arrived, and both ate in silence for several minutes.

"What do you teach?" Trowa asked, feeling that he should ask something about Duo, who had spent most of the evening interrogating him.

"Math – everyone's favorite. I also coach the baseball team."

"Let me guess, you're a Yankees fan?" Trowa asked, injecting as much disdain in his voice as Duo had when referring to Abu Dhabi.

Duo groaned and set down his fork.

" Born and raised! But you -no! No! Of course, you're from Maine. You're a Red Sox fan, aren't you? There go my dreams of happily ever after."

"I'm afraid that I have a soul, so yes, I am a Red Sox fan."

"What? You want to talk about soulless, let's talk about the Red Sox front office. They trade a guy as soon as he starts to slow down. Not like the Yankees, we keep our guys and let them retire with dignity."

"That's because most of the Yankees are over 50. Seriously, it's like a retirement home. How old is Derek Jeter? And Rivera –"

"Don't even think about criticizing Rivera! That man will pitch until he's ninety-seven and still kick your precious Socks back to Boston!"

The argument had gotten heated by that last statement, and it took a moment for them to relax.

"Patriots too?" Duo asked after a moment in a resigned voice.

Trowa smirked.

"I don't actually follow football."

"Thank god. We'll just pretend that you like the Jets and leave it at that."

Trowa chuckled at that and shook his head.

"I'm not sure, with your poor taste in baseball, I don't think we can ever get over this vast divide between us."

"We'll make it work," Duo said confidently.

"Until September."

Duo winced. "Yeah, we might have some issues then."

He leaned back in his chair and looked at Trowa, a smile on his face.

"This isn't my usual method of picking up guys," he confessed.

"I figured. It's sort of an expensive way to con a guy into a date."

Duo chuckled.

"Worth it, though."

The waitress arrived to remove their empty plates, breaking the tension that comment created. She returned with the bill a moment later. When Trowa moved to pull out his wallet, Duo waved him down.

"You're a school teacher," Trowa pointed out.

"Yeah, but I do okay. You can buy next time."

Trowa marveled again at the man's confidence. But, he reflected, he certainly wouldn't mind doing this again. If nothing else, Duo was good conversation. And he was definitely easy to look at.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Trowa realized that Duo did not have his suit.

"Did you forget something at the bar?" He asked.

Duo frowned in confusion.

"Er, no?"

"Not my suit?"

"Oh – oh! Yeah, about that. Well, I took it to my cleaners – because I'm not going to take it somewhere that I don't trust – and Mr. Lee said it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. So…"

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"You could just ask me out again, instead of holding my suit hostage."

"I could," Duo agreed. "But this way I'm guaranteed a yes."

They stood on the street, out of the way of the few people walking past them.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Trowa debated whether or not to invite Duo back to his apartment.

"Would –"

"I had a great time tonight," Duo said at the same time. He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "And normally, I'd drop in some smooth line and ask you to come back to my place. But…I've got some family issues and it's ah, not a good time for me to jump into bed with someone I just met."

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"You're assuming I would agree to come over."

"Because you weren't just about to ask me to come over to your place?" Duo challenged.

Trowa shrugged.

"Maybe. Now we'll never know." He tried to grin and ease the tension out of the awkward situation.

"So… how about your number? I can give you a call when the suit's ready and arrange a hostage exchange."

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"Any idea what the ransom will be?"

"Well… considering that the Yankees have a home stand this weekend…"

"You wouldn't."

"Nah, not as a second date. Besides, you'd probably show up in a Red Sox shirt and I'd get laughed out of the stadium by my bleacher buddies."

Trowa shook his head, but reached into his wallet and withdrew his card.

"Thanks." Duo saluted him with the card before slipping it into his back pocket.

"Well – I had a great time tonight," he said again.

"Me too. I'm surprised I escaped with my clothing intact, however."

Duo winked.

"All part of my plan to keep you off-balance. I'll be in touch," he added in a menacing tone.

Trowa smiled.

"I look forward to it."

They stood looking at each other for a moment, and Trowa took a step towards him, but then Duo smiled again, raised his hand in a wave, and took off in the opposite direction.

Trowa watched him walk away, admiring the view.

And then his phone rang.

"Trowa Barton," he answered.

"This is Heero. I sent your revised contract back to you."

"Excellent." Trowa looked at the time. It was nearly nine.

"I'd like you to come in at seven tomorrow. I've got to go over papers for a merger, and then I should brief you on the board situation."

"Of course."

"And at some point this week my father's executor will have a reading of the will. We will want to prepare for that."

"I can contact him, tomorrow, if you like," Trowa offered.

"Yes. I – I'll see you tomorrow." The line went dead.

Trowa stared at his phone in confusion.

He wasn't sure, but he was pretty confident that today had been one of the more bizarre days in his life.

He just hoped that tomorrow would prove to be a little more normal.

* * *

Next up: A day in the life of Heero Yuy...

* * *

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

And speaking of lavish praise: thank you, you three amazing reviewers!

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter II**

Heero Yuy was nothing if not meticulous. He planned his days down to the last minute, and his ability to compile research was legendary.

Seven days ago he had woken up at 5 a.m., gone for his morning run, showered, and walked to work, arriving at precisely 6:57, as he did every morning. And then he had received the phone call that ruined his perfectly crafted schedule. His father had died and he needed to leave Macau and come back to New York. For the first time in years, Heero's meticulous plans were completely destroyed.

And every day since then something had happened to once again upset any plans he attempted to make. While he didn't exactly blame Odin for dying, Heero certainly resented the fact that his father had sent him to Macau two years ago and had neglected to inform him of the fact that he had terminal liver cancer and did not expect to live much longer.

He had never had an easy relationship with his father, a situation that was exacerbated by his mother – who tried to intervene on his behalf as often as possible – and by his brother, who was as easy-going and jovial as Heero was work-obsessed and neurotic.

On the long plane ride back to New York, Heero had made a list of his immediate priorities:

1\. Comfort his mother

2\. Contact his brother and talk him into behaving for the next six months

3\. Contact Wufei Chang, executor of his father's estate

4\. Contact Thomas Darlian, Vice President of Yuy Inc.

5\. Hire new legal counsel.

The first item had been completed with only mild success. Since his mother had been expecting her husband's death for some time, she had resigned herself to it. However, she had taken to the role of mourning widow with a passion, and it had made her more dependent on her family and staff than she usually was. Heero had done what he could for her, even moving back into the Upper West Side penthouse that he had walked out of two years before, vowing never to return to.

The second item had been no more or less challenging than Heero had predicted it would be, but, in the end, had been accomplished. Once Heero had secured his brother's cooperation with comforting their mother and overseeing the funeral arrangements, he turned his attention back to Yuy Inc.

Wufei Chang had been a childhood friend of Heero's, despite the fact that he was the scion of Chang International founder and president, Henry Chang. Wufei functioned much as Heero did within Yuy Inc., but, even though they two companies had overlapping investments, Odin had trusted both Henry and Wufei. Making Wufei the executor of his estate had been a strong move, and Heero was grateful for it.

Heero settled into a routine the day after his arrival – he woke up, had his morning run, checked on his mother, and then went into work at Yuy Inc. headquarters, there he remained until after midnight before finally dragging himself back to the penthouse for a few hours of sleep before the cycle started all over again. He tried to keep the company running as the interim chairman, but he really felt as though he was treading water while sharks surrounded him. He knew that Darlian, in particular, wanted the company to expand aggressively into armament production. Other senior members of the board each seemed to have their own ideas for how Yuy Inc. should expand, and Heero spent most of his time bluntly refusing their suggestions and trying to find loopholes in their contracts.

The task of hiring new legal counsel should have been the easiest of the five, but it turned out to be the most challenging. He had his secretary prioritize the candidates, and then assemble dossiers on the ten with the highest potential. The dossiers contained every scrap of information she could find on the individuals, from photographs to newspaper clippings, college transcripts, police records, and any letters of recommendation forwarded with their resumes.

Heero had collected the dossiers and barricaded himself in the office that had once been his father's, but was now his reluctant inheritance. He read through each one as carefully as possible, making notes and committing key information to memory. He had been at it several hours before Wufei barged in, unannounced, arms laden with Thai take-away.

After a brief dinner break, Heero shoved the dossiers in his friends' direction.

"What do you think?" He asked.

Wufei scowled as he picked them up and started to toss them into different piles.

"Weasel, lawsuit waiting to happen, bloated, arrogant, useless, idiot, sycophant, eye-candy, mommy-track, and…maybe." Wufei had spent less than thirty seconds looking at each individual. With the exception of the last dossier, each of the others was scattered in a haphazard pile beside Heero's trashcan. He arched an eyebrow as he inspected the 'maybe.'

"You really think it would be a good idea to my father's attorney?"

Wufei shrugged. "He's loyal and experienced."

"He also thinks that I'm a revolutionary and a whipper-snapper who doesn't know his place."

Wufei nodded in sympathy. He too was faced with daily patronization from his father's oldest associates.

Heero scowled and picked up the discarded pile. He sorted through them until he found the one that had earlier caught his attention.

"What was your problem with Trowa Barton?" He asked.

"Eye-candy. If all you need is a male model, then hire one."

Heero chuckled. Privately, he agreed with Wufei's assessment of Trowa Barton's looks. And maybe attraction was the reason why he wanted to interview the man. Maybe.

"Top of his class at Brown, and then again at Harvard Law."

"Even your brother was at the top of his graduating class in college," Wufei said disdainfully.

"He worked for Quatre Winner for two years," Heero pointed out.

"Why was he fired?" Wufei immediately responded.

Heero shrugged.

"I'm not sure he was."

"You could call."

Heero considered it. While he and Quatre Winner were not friends, they were acquainted. He checked the time, and decided that there was a good chance that Quatre was still awake.

He threw Barton's dossier at Wufei while he listened to the phone ring.

Scowling, Wufei opened it and actually looked it over.

"Hello?"

"Quatre? This is Heero. Heero Yuy."

"Oh – Heero! I was very sorry to hear of your father's death."

"Thank you, Quatre. I was too."

There was an awkward pause.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Quatre asked.

"Actually, I'm in the process of hiring new legal counsel. Trowa Barton has applied and he listed you as a reference."

"Yes, of course. I told him to apply."

"So… you found him to be… satisfactory?"

"More than. He was, _is_ brilliant, and incredibly invested in his clients. He's a real catch."

"Then why isn't he still working for you?" Heero asked, suspicion and curiosity in his voice.

Quatre sighed.

"The short answer is that he hated living in Abu Dhabi."

"The long answer?"

"Heero, I want to stress to you that Trowa Barton is amazingly smart, and driven, and willing to fight for the honor and justice of his clients."

"But?"

"There is no but. That is who he is. I think it's important for you to know that. If I could have kept him with me forever, I would have. You won't find anyone better suited to helping you make a stand in your father's company, either. He was enormously helpful when I took over Winner Enterprises."

"Hn." Heero tried to read between the lines of what Quatre was telling him, but he struggled to do so.

"He's only dealt with international law," Wufei said loudly.

Over the phone line, Quatre sighed. He had obviously heard Wufei.

"It's true that he hasn't practiced law in the States since about a year after he graduated from Harvard, but he's still a member of the New York and Massachusetts state bars. And, how exactly is it a bad thing that he has so much experience in international law? Are you planning on making Yuy Inc. a domestic company? Because, if you are, I would be _happy_ to make some acquisitions from your overseas holdings."

"No, that won't be happening," Heero said. " Thank you for your time, Quatre."

"Of course. I hope he works out,"

Heero hung up the phone and looked at Wufei. His friend shrugged.

"I don't trust him."

"Why?"

Wufei scowled and, after a long moment, muttered his answer.

"He's too pretty."

Heero tried to stop himself from laughing, but he couldn't. He chuckled, and realized it was the first time in what felt like years since he had. Wufei glared at him until he could control himself.

"Your only complaint is that he's too pretty?"

Wufei nodded miserably.

"So, you don't want me to hire a well qualified, glowingly-recommended, top notch lawyer because he's too pretty."

"I just think that he will be a distraction."

Now it was Heero's turn to frown.

"I'm not a teenager. I can keep my hands to myself and focus on my work. Besides, maybe I could do with some eye-candy around here. He won't be a distraction."

Wufei still looked uncertain, but then he shrugged.

"It's your decision. And besides, you already made it before I even got here."

Heero smirked at that. "True. But I might have changed my mind if you had a better argument than his looks."

Wufei shrugged again and handed back the dossier.

"I've got to go. Have you decided on a day for the reading yet?"

Heero shook his head.

"Still waiting to hear back from –"

"-from your idiot brother. Of course. Does he have no respect?" Wufei fumed.

"He had respect. You know he does. He worshiped Odin. But it's not as if any of us had this month cleared on our calendars in advance. He has to work time into his schedule."

Wufei snorted.

"Yes, because he is _so_ important and busy, he can't even find the time to go back to his home at night to sleep." Wufei shook his head. "No, sorry, that's you. He, on the other hand –"

"Wufei. We aren't getting into this again. He's my brother. Despite his…flaws, and I agree, there are many of them, but he's a good man. And he's my brother. So I'm the only one who gets to complain about him. If _you_ complain about him too, then I just look like an asshole."

"What do you mean, _look_ like an asshole?" Wufei asked with a smirk.

Heero relaxed as he saw the tension leave Wufei.

"He thinks probably Friday," he answered Wufei's initial question.

"He _thinks_ , _probably_?" Wufei exploded all over again. "Does he not realize that other people – people whose jobs are far more time consuming – also have to clear their schedules?"

"Wufei."

"Fine. Fine. I'm going. Call me and let me know." He jerked his head towards the dossier in Heero's hands. "Good luck with that one. When are you going to interview him?"

"Wednesday."

"And he would start?"

"Thursday."

Wufei laughed.

"Nothing like throwing him to the wolves, huh?"

"The same thing happened to us. And we turned out okay?"

"Okay? Speak for yourself, Yuy. I turned out magnificently." Wufei puffed out his chest and Heero chuckled again. "Now I am really going. Try to get some sleep between now and forever, will you?"

Heero nodded and waved his friend out.

Once he was alone in the office, Heero studied the photo of Trowa Barton again. It was a fairly recent, color photograph. It featured both Quatre and Trowa getting out of a car, dressed in tuxedos and black bow ties, likely going to one of the dozens of charity events that Quatre's company sponsored. The photo was obviously a paparazzi shot, and while the main subject was Quatre, Trowa's features were also in focus.

Even in the photograph, Heero found himself mesmerized by Trowa's sharp, green eyes. There was also no denying the fact that, as Wufei had termed it, Trowa Barton was definitely eye candy. However, just because he looked so appealing to Heero, there was no indication that he was gay, or would ever be interested in Heero.

And, more importantly, Heero told himself, they would be working together. He shoved his attraction to the other man to the back of his mind and told himself to start acting like the president of one of the largest and most successful companies in the world.

* * *

The interview on Wednesday had gone well, and Heero had been only momentarily distracted by Trowa's looks when the man himself walked into his office. He was much, much better looking in person, Heero decided. To the point that he almost took Wufei's advice to not hire him.

Trowa had been efficient in his answers to Heero's questions, and had even teased him at one point. He had been honest and quick witted. And Heero couldn't get over how well he wore the gray, pinstriped suit.

Heero's father had believed that the old adage, "Clothes make the man," was bullshit. He did, however, believe that you could judge a man's character by how _well_ he wore his clothes. If it was rags or a tuxedo – it was more about comfort in one's self and one's skin, and not about the actual garments. Odin had believed that a man who was comfortable in his own skin was an honorable man.

Trowa Barton, Heero decided, was very comfortable in his clothes. It spoke of honesty – as did his responses. Heero had already dealt with too many sycophants or older executives whose only concerns were themselves. It was refreshing to have Trowa Barton sit there and tell him that he wanted a good challenge.

After only a few minutes, it was obvious that Trowa would be the perfect fit for the position. Heero prolonged the interview for a few more minutes, however, just to sit and talk to the man. But, after fifteen minutes, he had to move on to the other items on his daily schedule.

As Trowa walked out of his office, Heero couldn't help but look up from his work and admire the rear view.

After the door to his office closed, Heero slammed his head against his desk.

"No," he told himself. "You cannot fall for your lawyer. Get a grip."

It was definitely not in his schedule, or any of his plans, to pursue an office romance. Even with someone as attractive and intelligent as Trowa Barton. So he shoved all of his attraction and his feelings into a box and put it in the recesses of his mind.

His resolve crumbled almost instantly when Trowa walked into his office on Thursday morning, dressed in a brown suit and a lavender shirt and tie, briefcase in one hand and ceramic travel mug in the other, a slight grin on his face.

Heero had slept very little the night before. He had spent hours pouring over his father's notes from the last meetings he held before his death, trying to figure out what his father had wanted to do and trying to reconcile his own personal goals for himself and the company. It was exhausting work, and at this point, Heero was able to function only because of the excessive amount of caffeine in his system from the four cups of coffee he had already had that morning.

"I'm happy to have you with us," Heero said and held out his hand.

Trowa smiled and set down his briefcase to shake Heero's hand.

"Thank you. This is a great opportunity." He released Heero's hand. "I, ah, haven't had a tour yet, so I don't know where my office is – or were to put my briefcase."

"Right. I'll have Sherisse give you the grand tour in a bit. For now – please, sit, and let's talk about the schedule over the next few days."

"Of course."

Heero gestured them to the partner desk in the corner of the office.

Odin had been obsessed with his work, but, when they were young, he had encouraged both of his sons to visit him often. He had purchased several antique partner desks and had them installed in the various offices and libraries in the offices and homes that they owned for the purpose of giving both of them space to do their homework while he worked to take over the world.

Heero sat down in his usual chair, a chair that had been vacant for at least fourteen years.

Trowa sat down across from him and set down both his coffee and his briefcase. Heero waited while the other man withdrew a MacBook and a pair of thin framed glasses.

Heero had to literally force himself to look away when Trowa put on the glasses. He had always, since he was a teenager, found reading glasses to be incredibly sexy. It was almost as if Trowa Barton existed only to torment Heero.

"I'm ready," Trowa said.

"Right. Right. My brother has finally agreed to clear his Friday afternoon, so we've got the reading of my father's will tomorrow at four-thirty. It shouldn't take more than two or three hours." Heero frowned slightly. "I won't expect you to come in this weekend."

"Do you need me to?"

Heero shrugged. "I'm not sure. None of us have any idea what's in that document – for all I know he could have given the company to my distant cousins, in which case, you might be out of a job. But, in all likelihood, there will be some points that we will want to negotiate. I think it can wait until Monday, however."

"Let me know if you change your mind," Trowa said.

Heero nodded, grateful for the sign of commitment.

"Today I want to go over the structure of the company with you, our major holdings, and introduce you to the individuals who…." Heero tried to think of a polite way to put it. While he did, Trowa's lips twitched into a slight smile.

"Who will likely give us the most resistance to any changes?" He offered.

"Yes. If you want to put it nicely. As you mentioned yesterday – a lot of people have made a lot of money from this company. There is going to be… SIGNIFICANT resistance to my plans for the future of this company."

"Why do you want to change it?" Trowa asked.

"My father was a great man, and he did amazing things to start this company and make it what it is today. But that is the past. I want Yuy Inc. to have a viable future, and that means restructuring and reinvesting. It also means taking an active role in sustainable development. This company is enormously wealthy, it is our obligation to give back to our society and to be a model for development. I will not let this company become NRON or Halliburton."

"Fair enough. I think we will likely encounter the most resistance from the chairman of your board. Thomas Darlian?"

Heero was inordinately pleased that Trowa had done enough research to be able to bring up the topic.

"Yes, exactly. But he won't be the only one."

The morning was spent going over each senior board member's background and likely allegiance to either Heero or Darlian. At noon, they concluded that most of the board would support Darlian, but that it would be possible to slowly win over a majority.

As they stood up from the desk, Trowa stretched, and Heero admired his lean body. At some point, Trowa had removed his jacket, and he was now just in his shirtsleeves, tie, and trousers. And of course, the glasses.

"Lunch?" Heero suggested.

"Yes. My brain would appreciate a few extra carbs. You've been giving me quite the workout this morning."

It wasn't said with any innuendo, but Heero's mind could help but go to dirty places. He could so easily picture the two of them naked on the desk, Trowa spread out beneath him –

"When would you like me back?" Trowa interrupted his train of thought.

"Did you have plans?" Heero asked.

"No. Actually, I don't even know where to go."

Heero nodded.

"If you are in the mood for carbs, there's a great Italian place a few blocks down."

Trowa looked interested.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked.

"Not at all," Heero answered, relieved that he hadn't had to be more obvious about his desire to be with the other man.

Trowa collected his jacket, removed his glasses, and followed Heero out of the office.

In the lobby, Sherisse greeted them.

"Is there something I can get you, Mr. Yuy?"

"No, we're going to lunch. Should be back in an hour, hour and a half."

She looked shocked. In the week that Heero had taken residence in his father's office, he hadn't once taken a lunch break. Nor much of any break, and certainly not for such a long period of time.

"Alright," she said uncertainly. "Er, enjoy yourself, sir."

The walk to the restaurant was in an easy, companionable silence.

When they sat down at a secluded table in the back of the restaurant, Heero was relieved that Trowa didn't immediately start a conversation, but instead took a few moments to look over the menu and admire the décor.

"I haven't been to an Italian restaurant in years," Trowa mused aloud as he looked over the menu.

"I hope this is okay?"

"Yes. Definitely. It's a nice break from hummus. Don't get me wrong – I love hummus, but it gets old after two years."

Heero chuckled.

"Did you travel much? With Winner?"

Trowa shrugged.

"Some. Mostly I stayed in Abu Dhabi to keep his sisters from forming a coup if he had to go on any extended business trips. Short ones or merger discussions – those I went on." He shook his head. "It's strange to think that I looked forward to a merger discussion in Moscow as a vacation."

"So you won't object if I ask you to travel with me?" Heero asked.

"Not at all."

The waiter arrived to take their orders and deliver water to their table. Once he was gone, Trowa leaned back in his chair and grinned slightly.

"So, we've mapped out our hostile takeover of your own company. What's on the schedule for the afternoon?"

Heero chuckled.

"I'd like to have Sherisse show you your office, allow you the chance to get settled and then we should touch base before you leave for the day. Around six?"

Trowa raised an eyebrow.

"Not eleven? The first week that I worked for Quatre we lived out of his office."

"Yes, but Quatre had to fight off all of those insane sisters for control of the company. Everyone acknowledges that Odin wanted me to take over. Now we just need to work out the details. So, no, I'm not going to chain you to your desk." No matter how much he liked _that_ mental image.

Trowa shrugged. "I'm prepared, if you need me to." He frowned. "I didn't realize that you had a brother."

Heero shifted in his seat and tried to think of the best way to explain his brother.

"He's not invested in the company. You won't need to look for any coups coming from his direction. However, tomorrow afternoon, don't be surprised if he shows up half an hour late or if my mother spends the entire time reprimanding him for it, or for any of his other recent mistakes."

"Sounds entertaining."

"Or we could be lucky and he will show up half an hour early and be on his best behavior."

"You don't sound very optimistic about that," Trowa said.

"Years of experience with the opposite behavior have dulled my sense of optimism."

Their food arrived and they ate in silence. It was a nice break from discussing the company, and Heero savored the moments to clear his mind of work and enjoy a meal with an attractive man. Who, yes, happened to be his employee. His incredibly sexy, intelligent, funny, and honest employee.

As they walked back to the office, they passed a street vendor haggling with two teenagers over the price of a Yankees t-shirt.

"You should be giving away Alex Rodriguez t-shirts! He needs all the fans he can get!" One boy was arguing.

"It's criminal that you are charging more for his shirt than Derek Jeter! I mean, the DJ is… he's the DJ! Without him, the Yankees are nothing!" The other exclaimed.

Trowa chuckled, and even Heero had to smile.

"I should probably tell you that one of the perks of working for our company is that we have a luxury box AND tickets behind home plate at Yankee stadium," Heero said, as they continued walking.

"Thank god you aren't a Mets fan," Trowa said and then shuddered. "You couldn't pay me enough to cheer for them."

"And the Yankees?"

Trowa hesitated a moment.

"I should have issued a disclaimer when you interviewed me. I have to confess that I'm a dyed in the wool Red Sox fan."

Heero winced. There went his dream of taking Trowa to a game.

"But, I'm always up to see the Yankees lose, so yes, I will certainly make use of those tickets," Trowa added.

Heero decided that, while he hadn't planned on having to deal with a distraction like Trowa, he could probably rearrange his schedule to accommodate it.

* * *

When Trowa stepped into Heero's office at six that night, Heero was happy for the interruption from the increasingly frustrating task of deciphering his father's notes from the last three board meetings. While a digital record had been taken, and Heero, as a vice president of the company and member of said board, had been emailed the minutes of the meeting, the record was as general as it could possibly be. Heero wanted details, and his father's handwriting had always been nearly illegible. While Heero appreciated his father's habit of obsessive note-taking, he sincerely wished that he had chosen a different way to record his thoughts – a tape recorder would have been preferable to the abstract art he now studied.

"So, how was the first day? Ready to quit?" Heero asked as Trowa walked in.

"Are you kidding? My office is bigger than my apartment. I'm considering terminating my lease and moving in here. You aren't going to get rid of me that easily."

Heero chuckled at the joke. He was used to people complaining about the size of their living spaces. Having no personal experience with that, however, he couldn't make further comment. Growing up in the myriad townhouses, penthouses, and manor houses that his parents had acquired over the years, Heero had often found himself swallowed up by the vast spaces.

"Good. I have meetings for most of tomorrow – but we should have an hour or so to talk before the reading of my father's will."

"Excellent. I'm going to go start going through the records of the last board meetings and most recent corporate acquisitions and make sure that everything is in order."

"Thank you. Today was…very helpful. I'm relieved to have someone like you working with me."

Trowa smiled.

"High praise coming from you, Mr. Yuy."

"Heero, please call me Heero. And what does that mean?"

"I know that you have an MBA and a law degree. I realize that my position is little more than a glorified personal assistant."

"That's not true. This company is too large for me to manage everything on my own. I'm relying on you to catch any oversights and to help me frame the big picture for the future."

Trowa still looked skeptical.

"I'm not paying you to fetch my coffee. I have other people for that. I do value your legal expertise."

"In that case, I have some recommendations for how you can go around the board to get the ball rolling towards restructuring the company."

And so they spent the next three hours debating how much they could accomplish in the next six months towards Heero's goal of making sustainability R&D the main investment of Yuy Inc.

By the time that Trowa finally left for the night, Heero was exhausted and, for the first time since he had returned from Macau, he went home before midnight. He banished any guilt at leaving so early with the knowledge that he and Trowa had accomplished more than he had planned for the day.

As Heero prepared for bed, he prepared a mental checklist for the following day. When he worked his way towards the afternoon and evening time slots, he groaned in frustration. The reading of his father's will was bound to have a major impact on Heero's future, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Odin had taken the opportunity to punish Heero again, from the grave, for all of his many failings as a son.

* * *

Next up: Trowa meets Heero's infamous brother, and Wufei's jealousy rears its ugly head.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: Also, this chapter gives a nod to another awesome TV show, "How I Met Your Mother." See if you can spot it! And, if anyone is curious: I do not live in New York City. I never have. I likely never will. The Blue Martini is a sort of entirely fictional restaurant. It IS a real restaurant in Las Vegas, south of the strip, and a pretty fantastic place to go. It does not, however, feature a solid aquarium for a wall. Unless they've done some massive redecorating. They are named for their featured drink, the Blue Martini, which I highly recommend to anyone who visits!

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter III**

When Trowa arrived at his office at seven on Friday morning, he wasn't surprised to see that his desk phone was blinking red, showing unheard voice mail.

He sat down and listened to them.

The first was a pleasant surprise.

"Hope work is going well. I promise not to bother you on this number often – but I wanted to let you know that I will be in town next month for a gala at the MET and for a few meetings. We should catch up." Quatre's voice had definitely been a nice way to start off his day, but the next message had erased whatever positive feelings Trowa had.

"This is Wufei Chang. Executor of Odin Yuy's will. I have been informed that you are the…marginally qualified lawyer now representing Heero Yuy. Call me this morning between eight and eight fifteen so we can discuss the details of this afternoon's reading." The man's voice practically oozed disdain.

Trowa scowled at the phone and wondered what he could have possibly done to offend someone he had never even met.

Trowa next checked his email, completely unsurprised to see the half dozen emails from Heero, each with a different subject line and a different set of questions and directives. It took Trowa until nearly eight to respond back to each of the emails with all of the information Heero had requested.

He briefly debated waiting until eight twenty to call Wufei Chang, but decided against it. He had, apparently, already upset the man enough.

"Chang here."

"This is Trowa Barton."

"Yes, I know. My phone – much like any in the modern world – has caller ID."

Trowa rolled his eyes and mentally prepared himself for what was sure to be a _fantastic_ conversation.

"I'm glad that you called, actually. Mr. Yuy wanted me to discuss the particulars of the reading with you, and –"

"You left it a bit late, then, to be calling me this morning," Wufei interrupted.

Trowa frowned. "I'm sorry, have we met previously, Mr. Chang? Or is there something I have done to give you such a negative impression of me?"

The line was silent for a moment.

"Thus far, you have done nothing to provide me with a positive impression. I've seen your resume, and I'm not as impressed with your qualifications or good looks as Mr. Yuy obviously is. If you want my regard, then you will have to work for it."

Trowa briefly wondered if it was important for him to have Wufei's regard, but decided that it would definitely not be in his or Heero's best interests if Trowa had Wufei continued to despise him as much as he clearly did.

"May I ask what details you wanted to discuss?" Trowa asked, injecting his voice with calm indifference.

"I anticipate there being rather…negative reactions to some portions of the will. I have only had the documents released into my custody this morning, and the late Mr. Yuy stipulated that the will was to be fully disclosed only with both of his sons, his wife, and at least two senior board members present. As such, I am unable to give Heero any advance notice of what the will contains."

That didn't sound ominous at all, Trowa thought sarcastically. He wondered if Wufei was playing it up for a sense of drama.

"Is there any reason to believe that Mr. Yuy will be… displaced?" He asked.

Wufei laughed harshly. "Yes, every reason, in fact. But not… not entirely. Mr. Darlian and his daughter will also be present at the reading today, and they will also likely have negative reactions. Assuming, of course, that Heero's reprobate brother manages to drag himself to the reading and we can even do it."

Trowa frowned. After a day of hints about the character of Heero's brother, he was immensely curious to meet the man in question.

"Was there anything else?" He asked.

"No. Just be prepared to do your job, _beyond_ your fullest abilities." Trowa could practically hear the sneer in the other man's voice.

"Thank you," he said, ignoring the insult, and hung up the phone before Wufei could respond.

Trowa spent the rest of the morning buried in legal paperwork, trying to understand the structure of the board, and examining all of the appointments and demotions that Odin Yuy had made in the months before his death. He wanted to be as prepared as possible to defend Heero and protect him from whatever disaster Wufei was predicting.

It was twelve-thirty when he heard a knock on his door.

"Enter," he called out, not bothering to look up from the papers in front of him. Sherisse had already stopped by several times with notes from Heero, and he assumed she had returned with yet another.

"Have you taken a lunch break yet?"

Trowa, startled, looked up at the sound of Heero's voice.

"Er, no. I lost track of time."

Heero smiled slightly.

"Well, as your boss, I insist that you take one."

"Now?" Trowa asked.

Heero nodded.

"With you?" Trowa asked with a slight grin.

"I don't _insist_ on that part, but if you would like to…"

"Yes, thank you." Trowa packed away his glasses and made a pathetic effort to organize the papers.

"What are you working on?" Heero asked as they took the elevator down.

"Trying to figure out how your father's mind worked," Trowa admitted.

Heero chuckled. "Good luck with that. After thirty one years, I've given up."

They left the building and Trowa fell into step beside Heero, wondering where they would go today.

"Japanese okay?" Heero asked as he navigated a path through pedestrian traffic.

"Okay," Trowa said.

"If all goes well today, we should be able to leave the office at three and make it to the house in Southampton by four-thirty for the reading of the will."

"Do we think your brother will be on time?" Trowa asked.

"I hope he will. Mother is already suffering enough as it is – I'm not sure she could handle dealing with the anxiety from this reading AND his bad manners."

"Thomas Darlian and his daughter will also be present?" Trowa phrased it as a question, even though he knew the answer.

Heero shuddered.

"Yes. Relena. I won't ask you to do this often – but please, please do NOT leave me in a room alone with her. I literally cannot be held responsible for my actions if I am subjected to her attentions for too long."

Trowa arched an eyebrow, amused by the break in composure from Heero as he discussed Relena.

"Old girlfriend?" He guessed.

"She wishes," Heero muttered and shook his head. "She just can't accept that her dream of being Mrs. Heero Yuy is never going to happen."

"Oh?" Trowa asked in amusement.

Heero nodded miserably.

"When she found out I was gay it almost broke her heart. And then she seemed to just…pretend that I wasn't. Or that I was confused. For my twenty-fifth birthday I went into work and she was sitting on my desk, completely naked, a pink bow around her head."

Trowa couldn't help but chuckle.

"The idea has merit, just not with her as the present," Heero continued.

"I'll make a note in my planner to procure a handsome, naked man and a bow for your birthday, then," Trowa joked.

Heero looked at him, a smirk on his face.

"Hn."

"And Thomas Darlian?"

"Definitely not an option for my birthday present!" Heero spluttered.

"No, I meant in relation to Relena's hopes and dreams."

"Oh. He's nurtured them since we were children. He's worked for my father since before I was born, and his dream has been to have Relena marry into this family. "

"So he's not your biggest fan, then."

"Ah, no."

"Why doesn't she try to marry your brother?"

Heero was silent for a moment, and then shook his head.

"That would be…something to see. I'll have to suggest it next time she starts to go on and on about how beautiful our children would be."

They arrived at the restaurant and Heero ushered Trowa inside. Without even speaking with the hostess, Heero led the way to the center of the restaurant, where, on a raised dais, the sushi bar was installed.

Trowa paled as they neared and the smell of raw fish assaulted his nose.

He should have known, when Heero suggested Japanese, that he hadn't meant _cooked_ Japanese food.

They sat and Trowa tried to look away from the glass display cases. He looked down at his hands to avoid the rows of raw fish. And then he realized that the entire bar was actually an aquarium, with goldfish happily swimming over translucent black rocks under his hands.

Trowa started to feel nauseated.

"Your usual or something new?" One of the sushi chefs asked Heero as he held out menus to the two men.

"The usual, please," Heero said and waved away the menu.

The chef held one out to Trowa, and he reluctantly accepted it. He glanced through it for a moment, searching for vegetarian options.

When the chef came back, Trowa ordered the asparagus roll and the potato roll.

"I've been in two different meetings this morning with Senior Vice Presidents who feel that I need to promote Darlian to Vice-Chairman of the board," Heero said.

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"He works fast. The will hasn't even been read yet, and he's already making a move to gain more power."

Heero shrugged.

"I'm not surprised. And… they had a point. If my father actually did name me as Chairman in his will, that leaves the position of Vice-Chairman unfilled."

"Which makes it an excellent bargaining tool for breaking Darlian's support on your board," Trowa pointed out.

"True. Very true." Heero sighed. "I can't shake the feeling that Odin changed his will in some way to punish me."

"Why would he want to punish you?" Trowa asked.

Heero barked a harsh laugh.

"I can't even begin to list the reasons." Heero shook his head. "None of it matters now."

Their food arrived, and Trowa focused his gaze on his own plate, trying to ignore the bright reds and oranges of raw fish on Heero's plate. Mechanically, he forced down his lunch.

"Have you spoken with Wufei yet?" Heero asked.

Trowa choked on his food.

"Yes," he managed, after taking a sip of water. "He, ah, outlined a few concerns about the will."

Heero looked amused.

"Made a good first impression, huh?"

Trowa grimaced.

"Not…exactly."

"He's a bit much when you first meet him. Well. I suppose that technically you still haven't met him yet."

"I'm filled with joy at the prospect of meeting him for real, then," Trowa muttered.

Heero chuckled again.

"This afternoon I have a few more meetings with board members," Heero said to change the subject.

Trowa nodded. "And I've got several more documents I want to look over before the reading."

"Excellent. Hopefully we'll be prepared for whatever traps Odin has set for us."

The rest of the meal, and the walk back to the office, was spent in a companionable silence.

Once back at the office, they parted ways and Trowa buried himself in the paperwork on his desk for the next few hours.

When Heero stepped into his office at three, Trowa had packed his briefcase, but left his glasses on, anticipating that Heero might want him to look over something on the drive over to his mother's.

Heero smiled slightly when he saw Trowa, and Trowa felt his own lips curving upward in response.

"Yes?" He asked, wondering what had put Heero in a good mood.

"Nothing. Just – I ah, appreciate how intellectual you look in those glasses."

Trowa blinked as he tried to decipher the comment. Was Heero…flirting with him?

"Hopefully Wufei Chang will agree with your assessment," Trowa muttered.

Heero laughed. "He already does."

Trowa filed that information away.

They took the elevator down to the garage, and were ushered into the waiting car by Heero's driver.

"I received a call from my brother. He's going to be at least half an hour late."

Trowa frowned.

"All the same, everyone else will be there. So Darlian will use the time to make a case for being named my Vice-Chairman, now that he's sent every last one of his lackey's to me today to plead his case."

"Who else are the other potential candidates for the position?" Trowa asked.

Heero shrugged.

"My mother used to be the Vice-Chair until she resigned and I was appointed. She has the experience, and the investment in the company, after all."

"You don't sound thrilled about the idea," Trowa pointed out.

"My mother has always been a supporter of Darlian's. I'm not sure giving her that level of authority would be helpful."

"Hm. What about other board members?"

Heero shook his head in the negative.

"No. Too much history with them."

"Your brother?"

"Definitely not. Knowing him he'd donate the company to some orphanage or lose it in a poker game."

"And what about Wufei Chang?" He asked.

"If Wufei wasn't Henry Chang's only son, and the Vice Chairman of Chang International, he would be an ideal candidate."

"Hm. Then for now, we don't have a likely candidate."

"No, not for now." Heero settled back against the seat and slanted a look over at Trowa.

"Any chance we can just flee the country instead of attending this?" He asked.

Trowa grinned.

"And where would we go?"

"I'm sure your old boss, Quatre has a private island or two he could loan me."

"Yes, well, that still leaves the matter of who would inherit Yuy Inc."

Heero groaned.

"Fine. We'll stay. But I wasn't kidding about not leaving me alone with Relena."

"I have it recorded in my notes as imperative."

Heero arched an eyebrow.

"Imperative to _not_ leave you alone," Trowa clarified.

"Thank you."

Heero closed his eyes and Trowa allowed himself to relax back into the seat. He looked Heero over, noting that he had changed since this morning. Before, he had been dressed in a tan suit, but now he wore a black suit, white shirt, and blue tie. It was somber and austere, and yet it only seemed to emphasize Heero's chiseled features and well-defined body.

"You're staring at me," Heero said, his eyes still closed.

Trowa flushed at having been caught ogling his boss. He tried to think of an explanation for why.

"I'm sure the reading won't be as bad as I think it will be. Don't be too concerned."

Trowa allowed himself to relax, and he forced his gaze away from Heero.

"It's my job to be concerned," he pointed out.

"Fair enough."

The traffic was light, and they managed to make it to the house just at four-thirty, at least half an hour before Heero anticipated the arrival of his brother.

Once inside the enormous mansion, Heero ushered Trowa towards a door off of the main entrance hall.

"We'll be meeting in the library," he explained as he opened the door.

They were greeted by a room filled with people. Most of them Trowa instantly recognized as lawyers, from their Blackberries and netbooks to their legal pads and expensive, ill fitting suits.

Heero walked over to greet an older blonde woman seated on the leather sofa at the center of the room.

"Mother," he said and kissed her on the cheek. She accepted the kiss and lifted a hand to smooth Heero's tie.

"Your brother called. He will be late."

"I know, he called me this afternoon. He had a meeting."

"A meeting that couldn't have been rescheduled?" This question came from the Chinese man standing behind the large, mahogany desk that seemed to dominate the room.

Trowa was willing to bet that this was Wufei Chang.

"Wufei. Please."

The Chinese man scowled, but nodded and turned his gaze to Trowa. The scowl became more pronounced.

"I presume that you are Trowa Barton."

"Yes, a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chang." Trowa crossed the room and offered his hand. Wufei stared at him, as though contemplating whether or not to soil his hand by touching Trowa. Eventually, he shook Trowa's hand in a brief, excruciatingly tight embrace.

"Yes, well, I trust you are at least marginally prepared for this meeting?"

Trowa forced himself not to roll his eyes.

"Mother, may I introduce Trowa Barton? He's the legal counsel I have hired to assist with the transition and to serve as the new family lawyer." Heero propelled Trowa towards his mother, one hand on his shoulder. Heero gave his shoulder a squeeze before he released him.

"Celia Yuy," the woman said and held out a well manicured hand.

Trowa shook it gently and gave her a bland smile. He could see where Heero had inherited some of his features – her eyes were the same blue as his, and her lips were also full and wide.

"While I hope that you won't need my services often, please know that I am prepared to do whatever I can to assist you and this family," he said.

She smiled faintly, as though pleased with what he said.

"Would you like a refreshment? Anita can bring you tea, coffee, water." She gestured vaguely to the uniformed maid standing silently by one of the doors leading out of the room.

"Water would be wonderful," he said.

"I'd like some coffee, please," Heero spoke up behind him.

Anita nodded and left the room.

"And this is Thomas Darlian, and his daughter, Relena," Heero continued the introductions, gesturing to a brown haired man and a blonde woman who was currently looking at Heero with naked adoration.

Trowa glanced at Heero and couldn't help the upward twitch of his lips.

Heero rolled his eyes and threw himself into a chair at the antique card table in one corner of the room.

Trowa followed him and sat in the chair to his right and started to unpack his laptop and his notepad.

Wufei walked over as the room started to hum with low conversation.

"Enjoying yourself so far?" Wufei asked casually.

Trowa looked up at him.

"Yes," he responded.

Wufei scowled at the lack of elaboration.

"I hope he's doing something to earn his keep aside from looking like a GQ cover model," Wufei muttered.

Trowa swallowed back his urge to laugh and remained silent.

"Yes, he is. Oddly enough, he's every bit as competent and qualified as I knew he would be." Heero said with an arch look.

Wufei glared at Trowa.

"Wufei. How is Meilin?"

The glare was transferred to Heero.

"She's doing wonderfully. Burning through money and refusing to let Zhu Li live with me. _Thank_ you for inquiring." Wufei stormed off.

"That's a handy trick," Trowa muttered.

Heero gave Trowa a half smile and then thanked Anita as she deposited their drinks at the table.

"Who are Meilin and Zhu Li?" Trowa asked.

"His ex-wife and their daughter. Meilin currently lives in… I think it's Lisbon at the moment. She has full custody of Zhu Li, so, even though she moves around every two or three months, Zhu Li hasn't seen Wufei in two years and hasn't been enrolled in the same school for an entire semester since she last lived in New York City."

Trowa winced, feeling a slight pang of sympathy for the prickly Chinese man. Then again, he certainly couldn't blame Meilin for keeping herself and her daughter away from Wufei.

"Relena doesn't seem too bad," Trowa said.

Heero gave him a patronizing look and then groaned as he looked past Trowa.

"You summoned her," Heero accused as Relena rose from her seat beside her father and crossed the room. She sat down on the other side of Heero.

"Oh, Heero, is there anything I can do for you? During this difficult time?" She reached out and wrapped her hands around Heero's right hand.

"Relena, I'm in the middle of discussing an important matter with Trowa, perhaps –"

"Oh, of course. How silly of me. I haven't even properly introduced myself." She freed one of her hands and held it out to Trowa.

"I'm Relena Darlian. I'm so happy that Heero has someone he can rely on to support him as his lawyer. In fact, Daddy and I were just speaking about you. Didn't you work for Quatre Winner?"

Trowa shook her hand and then nodded.

"Yes, I did."

"Oh, that's lovely. Daddy was just saying that he wanted to schedule a meeting with you. Perhaps you could take this time to speak with him?" She smiled widely and made it clear that he was dismissed.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Darlian, but Mr. Yuy and I really are in the middle of a sensitive discussion. I will be happy to arrange a meeting with your father after the reading."

Relena's smile faltered slightly and then froze.

"Of course." She stood and leaned in to kiss Heero on the mouth. "Remember, Heero, anything you need."

She walked off and Heero let out a breath.

"Thank you," he said.

"No thanks needed. It's my job."

Heero smiled faintly.

"No, managing Relena is definitely not in your job description. If it was, I'd be paying you a lot more than I currently am."

"In that case, I might need to re-negotiate my contract," Trowa said with a smirk.

Heero shook his head and was about to speak when Trowa's phone started to ring.

He frowned and was about to decline the call, when Heero spoke up.

"Answer it, we've still got time before this will start in any case," Heero said.

"Thank you. I'll only be a minute."

Trowa stood and left the room. He answered the call as he closed the library door behind himself.

"Trowa Barton."

"If you ever want to see your suit again, you'll be at McClaren's tonight at nine."

Trowa rolled his eyes at Duo's attempt to sound menacing.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking, hard day at work, but productive. What am I doing later? Sure, it would be nice to go out for a drink later." He said, ignoring Duo's threat entirely.

Duo chuckled. "See how boring that is? My way is much more entertaining."

"Much more crazy," Trowa corrected.

"Anyway, my bad day is about to reach world record shitty in the next ten minutes, so it would be nice if I have something to look forward to tonight."

Trowa almost asked what was bothering Duo, but he heard a car pull up outside of the house.

"I've got to get back to work."

"But we're on for tonight? Nine? McClaren's?"

"Sure," Trowa agreed and hung up the phone.

A moment later, the front door opened.

Trowa prepared himself to meet Heero's brother.

Duo Maxwell walked in.

* * *

Up next: Things get...complicated. Very, very complicated.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: Sorry that this chapter is still Trowa's POV. This used to be part of Chapter 3, but it got too long, and I had to split it into chapters.

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter IV**

"Hee –er, Trowa? What are you doing here?" Duo looked completely confused, and Trowa was sure that his own face mirrored that same confusion.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Trowa shot back.

"I live here." Duo said with a frown.

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"I mean, I used to live here –"

"Finally. Now that you are here, we can get started." Wufei had left the library and was now standing behind Trowa, startling both men.

"Er. Yeah, okay." Duo said, still focused on Trowa.

Trowa tore his gaze away from the other man and followed Wufei back into the library, he heard Duo follow a moment later.

Trowa resumed his seat beside Heero and watched in curiosity as Duo greeted Celia with a kiss on the cheek, which she frostily accepted.

"Heero," Duo said with a nod before sitting on the settee by the window.

Wufei resumed his place behind Odin's desk, and shuffled the papers in front of him.

"Now that Mr. Maxwell has joined us _at last_ , we can begin." Wufei said after giving Duo a meaningful glare.

Trowa's mind finally caught up with what had transpired. Duo was Heero's reprobate brother?

" Today –"

"Wait, sorry, I guess I missed the introductions. Who is he, exactly?" Duo asked, pointing at Trowa.

"My lawyer," Heero said.

"Your lawyer? What happened to Old Man Richards?" Duo asked with a frown.

"Technically, he's the family's lawyer. And I didn't want Odin's lawyer. I wanted someone new."

"So he works for us," Duo clarified.

"Unfortunately, that is what he said. Duo, can we please move on now?" Wufei jumped in.

"When, where – why him?" Duo continued, as if Wufei hadn't spoken.

Trowa frowned and looked at Duo, wondering why he was pursuing this line of questioning when there were other matters at hand.

"I interviewed him and he was the best for the position," Heero practically growled.

"A little young, isn't he?"

"Would you like my resume and references? I can provide you with them after the reading." Trowa ground out, irritated himself now.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that," Duo responded, sounding a little irritated as well.

"If that's settled?" Wufei asked loudly.

Duo nodded and looked away from Trowa.

"Then we will now, _finally_ , begin."

Trowa made notes on all of the bequests that Wufei proceeded to detail. He knew that the important bequests would be towards the end, those involving the close family and the corporation. All the same, it was important to be aware of all aspects of Odin's will.

"…and all jointly owned residences and bank accounts will revert solely to Celia Yuy. In addition, the residences in Tahiti, Marseilles, Alexandria, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and the Berkshires. To Heero Yuy, the following properties will be deeded – the residences in Seattle, Tokyo, Beijing, Macau, Madrid, Rome, London, and Paris. And the apartment building on the East Side. And to Duo Maxwell the following residences have been deeded – the Brooklyn Brownstones, and the residences in Kona and Toronto."

Trowa frowned as he made the notes, wondering why Duo had received significantly fewer properties than his brother. He also circled the Brownstones – making note of the fact that Wufei had pluralized it. He also wondered how many properties had been jointly owned by Odin and Celia – the list of properties that Odin had owned himself was impressive.

"All commercial properties will be owned and controlled by Yuy Inc. with the exception of the Third Avenue commercial spaces, which will remain under Duo's stewardship and will be deeded over to him. Likewise with the commercial properties in the Bronx."

"In reference to Odin's personal investments in Yuy Inc., his shares are to be divided as –" Wufei paused, scowled, and looked up from his papers to glare at Duo.

"Um? Fei? You kind of stopped reading," Duo said with an anxious look.

Wufei cleared his throat and looked back down. "-Odin's stock shares are to be split fifty-fifty between Heero and Duo. Heero is hereby appointed the Chairman and President of Yuy Inc. and Duo Maxwell is appointed as Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer."

There was an explosion of noise from Darlian, his daughter, and the cadre of lawyers seated behind them and Celia Yuy.

Trowa thought back to Heero's statement that he didn't need to worry about his brother forming a coup. It looked like Duo had done precisely that.

"Will you explain to me how my husband managed to appoint senior board positions without votes from the board?" Celia asked in a voice so frosty that Trowa had to fight back a shudder.

"Odin secured Heero's appointments through board voting at the last meeting," Darlian said. "But there was never ANY mention of Duo's involvement in the company, outside of inheriting nominal stocks. This can't be legal –"

"Actually," Trowa interrupted reluctantly, "the late Mr. Yuy organized the board as a supportive structure that was subordinate to any appointments and decisions he made as President and Chairman. Even demotions – such as presumably removing Blair Edwards as the Chief Executive Officer and appointing Duo, er, Mr. Maxwell in his place."

His interruption earned him glares from the majority of the room. Duo merely looked incredulous, and Heero's face was blank and unreadable.

"Really?" Darlian asked. "And you know this…?"

"Because Mr. Yuy, Heero Yuy, hired me to protect himself, his family, and Yuy Inc. I do my homework."

Darlian sneered.

"If what you say is the case, then it should be a simple matter of convening the board and voting to elect a new Chief Executive Officer. And Heero can remove Duo's status as a Senior Vice President."

"Actually," Wufei spoke up, "I wasn't finished reading." He waited until he had everyone's attention focused back on him. "Odin has also stipulated that the current leadership structure, as of the reading of this will and including all appointments made through this reading, remain intact for the next year. If any changes to the structure are made, for any reason other than dire emergency or incapacitation, all stocks and previously private holdings of Yuy Inc. will come under the management of Treize Khushrenada."

Now there was complete silence.

Trowa searched his memory for any mention of Treize Khushrenada. For some reason the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"You did this," Relena spoke up suddenly, directing her angry words at Duo.

"What do you mean, _I_ did this? " Duo demanded.

"You used Heero's absence to worm your way into Odin's good graces! You've ruined the legacy that was meant for Heero alone!"

Duo ran a hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry this throws a wrench in your obsessive plans for my brother, princess, but I had nothing to do with this. I asked Odin for the properties in the Bronx, and that was all. The rest – especially this corporate crap – was not my doing."

"Duo – "

"Mother. I had nothing to do with this. The last time we talked, Dad said that Heero was getting everything."

"He worked for it, at least," Wufei muttered.

Trowa noticed that Heero had been curiously quiet throughout this debate.

"I know that! Have I said _anything_ about him not deserving to inherit the whole damn company?" Duo demanded, exploding out of his chair and advancing on the Chinese man.

"You sure haven't been complaining," Wufei barked. "And this whole thing – Odin changing his will, giving you such high stakes in the company – none of it makes sense."

"I agree with you! That's what I just said!" Duo threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Then why are you –"

"Stop," Heero suddenly commanded. "Everyone, just stop."

Both Wufei and Duo turned to look at Heero.

"There has to be a logical way to…unravel these events and correct this situation."

"Correct it, huh?" Duo echoed. He practically collapsed back onto the settee.

Heero arched an eyebrow at him.

"You, yourself, said that you didn't want this."

"Well, no. It's not what we had talked about."

"Then you agree that it isn't the ideal situation?" Heero continued in a reasonable tone of voice, devoid of emotion.

"I think Dad being alive would be the ideal situation," Duo muttered.

"Duo, I've been working in the company since I was eighteen. For thirteen years I've worked as an intern, an assistant, a legal advisor, an investment manager, and a vice president. I've been training to take over this company for almost half my life."

"I know all of this. And so did Dad. That's why he appointed you as President and Chairman!"

"Duo, you have no experience in this. You're a math teacher!"

"Heero, you aren't the only one in this family with an MBA and you aren't the only one who interned with the company. It's true that I don't have your experience, or your expertise. But I've got a head for numbers, strangely enough. And Dad gave both of us this legacy. The least I can do is try to honor his wishes."

"So now you decide to be the dutiful son? Now you decide to do what Odin wanted?" There was definite emotion in Heero's voice now, and Trowa was taken about by the raw hurt in the other man.

"You're right. I never went to law school – hell, I didn't even want to go to Columbia and get my MBA, but I did and I tried, damnit! And I loved him. He was my Dad too, Heero!"

"No he was –" Heero abruptly snapped his jaw shut.

Duo's face drained of all color.

"So that's what this is really about?" He asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Heero shook his head.

"I shouldn't have said that. I just – I think that you need to really think about this, Duo, and decide what's best for everyone."

Duo's eyes narrowed.

"I think you should do the same," he said in a quiet voice.

Heero nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"I'd like a copy of the will," Trowa said into the silence that followed.

Wufei looked at him. "I'll have copies faxed over to you tonight."

"Thank you."

Celia stood.

"Dinner will be served in half an hour. Perhaps we should all take some time to ourselves."

"Yeah, I'm not going to be able to stay for dinner tonight," Duo said and stood as well.

Celia shrugged elegantly.

"If you insist, darling, I'm sure you have other things on your mind right now."

"Yeah. I'll, uh, see you for Sunday brunch." He lifted a hand in a vague gesture of farewell, and then he practically fled the library.

There was a tense, awkward moment, and then everyone else started to file from the room. Heero remained in his chair, and Trowa behind stayed as well.

Once they had the room to themselves, Trowa closed the doors and then sat across from Heero.

"Well, that went even worse than you predicted," he said.

Heero gave a startled laugh.

"Yes, well, sometimes even I can be wrong." Heero looked up at Trowa. "You seemed to take everything in stride."

Trowa shrugged. "I admit… there was certainly more drama than I had anticipated, but this was nothing compared to the reading of Abdul Winner's will." Trowa shuddered theatrically. "That still gives me nightmares."

Heero's lips twisted into a mocking grin.

"Yes, well, I think the nightmares have only just begun for me."

"What relationship does Treize Khushrenada have to Yuy Inc.?" Trowa asked, thinking that now was not the best time to ask questions about Duo.

"A former associate of my father's. He…he's the enemy, essentially."

"So your father planned to give his company to his enemy?"

Heero frowned. "No, of course not. My father simply wanted to ensure cooperation with his plans." Heero sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. "I can't believe he did this to me."

Now it was Trowa's turn to frown. "Duo? Mr. Maxwell?"

Heero looked up. "No, my father. He's still punishing me, even from the grave. I knew he wouldn't be able to pass up this opportunity." Heero shook his head. "And he's using Duo to do his dirty work. It's classic Odin. Pitting us against each other."

Trowa heard the anger in Heero's voice, and he felt compelled do to or say something to comfort the man.

"It doesn't seem as though Duo has any intention of antagonizing you, at least."

"No, he never does, but then he goes and does it anyway." Heero stood up. "You're welcome to stay for the dinner, or I can have a car take you back into the City. I don't imagine it's going to be a very pleasant evening here, even without Duo."

Trowa momentarily debated whether or not he should stay. On one hand, it would be useful to gather more evidence about the complicated relationships of this family. On the other, he thought he was likely to strangle Wufei Chang if he was forced to endure any more of his snide remarks about Trowa's lack of qualifications or offensive appearance.

"I'd rather go back and start reviewing the will. There seem to be more issues than we anticipated. Would you like me to come in tomorrow so we can begin discussing things?"

Heero shook his head. "No. I need time to process this. And I'll see Duo again on Sunday, at brunch. Actually, it would be a good idea if you were present for that. Do you have any plans?"

"No, I can be here – or wherever."

"Excellent. I will have a car collect you at ten on Sunday morning. Thank you for your work today. All of our plans are ruined, of course, but… we'll manage."

"We'll do more than manage, Heero." Trowa removed his glasses and put them back into their case. "We will succeed. We just need to adjust our tactics."

Heero smiled slightly.

"Take care," he said to Trowa as he left the room.

Trowa took a moment to reflect on the last two days. His new job as legal counsel for Heero Yuy had grown enormously complicated, very, very quickly. Not only was the board of Yuy Inc. a viper's nest, but the Yuy family was filled with angst and bitterness. And then, of course, there were Trowa's relationships with the two sons of Odin Lowe Yuy. One, his boss, was for all intents a decent and honorable man. A man that appeared to be attracted to Trowa. The other, a man he knew almost nothing about, may or may not be a despicable human being. A man that Trowa was currently dating.

Trowa resisted the urge to call Quatre and beg for his job back and instead packed up his briefcase and left the house. He had Heero's driver take him back to the Yuy Inc. headquarters and once there, Trowa worked until 8:45, going over the will and highlighting points of interest for later research.

* * *

He arrived at McClaren's just before nine, and surveyed the bar from the door before walking further in. For all intents and purposes it appeared to be a standard, Irish-American pub. There was a diverse mix of people at the bar, booths, and tables scattered around the large space.

After a moment, Trowa spotted Duo at a circular booth in the back, alone and with a half empty pitcher of beer and an empty glass in front of him.

Trowa approached cautiously and waited for Duo to look up and acknowledge him before he spoke.

"Oh. 'S'you. Didn't think you'd show." Duo said and gestured to the space beside him.

"I'm starting to run out of suits, I thought I should try to ransom back my second best one." Trowa tried for a joke, unsurprised when he failed to illicit a reaction.

"You must have laughed your ass off when I walked in that door," Duo said.

"No, actually, I was incredibly confused. How is it that your last name is Maxwell and yet you're a Yuy?"

"Ah-ah-ah. That would be telling. 'Sides, I'm not in the mood to talk about it. How do you like working for my brother, anyway?"

"Apart from tonight, I've enjoyed it very much."

Duo grinned. "Family too much for you?"

"No. Wufei Chang is."

Duo chuckled. "He give you a hard time cuz you aren't royalty like the rest of us?"

"Something like that," Trowa gestured to a passing waiter and requested two glasses of water, as well as an empty glass for himself. He wasn't about to let Duo finish that pitcher on his own, especially since he doubted that it was Duo's first.

Duo was silent as Trowa poured himself a glass and watched him as he took a few sips from it.

"So you work for me, huh?" Duo mused.

"Technically I work for your brother. My contract states that the immediate members of the Yuy family – meaning yourself and your mother – may avail themselves to my legal expertise if needed."

"Yeah, well, Mother has her own lawyer, so you won't be getting any requests for help from her."

Trowa frowned. "Why wasn't your lawyer present today?"

Duo grinned. "Don't have one. Never trusted 'em."

Trowa rolled his eyes. "Well, you have one now."

"I share one now. With my brother." Duo's gaze lost focus and he stared off into the distance for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were?" Trowa asked after a moment.

"You didn't tell me who you interviewed with – or who you worked for."

"I'm paid quite well to keep my mouth shut and _not_ discuss my clients. Besides, my work and your identity are two separate things."

Duo snorted. "Yeah, okay. So – what would have happened if I'd introduced myself as the profligate _other_ son of Odin Lowe Yuy? You would have been thrilled to go out with me then, right?"

"No," Trowa admitted. "You're my client, so all of this… that information changes everything."

"Exactly. And even if you weren't working for us – me being a Yuy always fucks with people's heads."

Trowa frowned. "I think you're exaggerating that."

"Yeah, well, try living as a Yuy for twenty-five years and then get back to me on that, will ya?" Duo looked bitter as he took a large gulp of beer from his glass.

"You have an MBA for Columbia? And you teach at a charter school in the Bronx?" Trowa tired to change the topic of conversation.

Duo shrugged. "Dad was determined to get me to work for the company, just like he roped Heero into doing. I fought it for years – ever since I was in high school and Dad forced us to do those damn internships. I tried so hard to prove to him that I was complete crap at it. But… everything came so easily to Heero, ya know? He was so good at all of it. And I've always been a little competitive… anyway, when I got my BA in education instead of pre-law or business or even political science – Dad hit the roof! I mean he was furious! I wanted to go to grad school and get my MAT – Masters in Teaching. And Dad flat refused. Told me that he'd indulged me enough in undergrad and I needed to do my duty. Like Heero. So I went to Columbia, got an MBA, and used Grandma's money to go to night school and get my MAT at the same time."

"So why don't you work for Yuy Inc. now?"

"I did. For a year. Without Heero around to compete with, I didn't need to worry about impressing Dad or anyone, so I just did my absolute worst. I had us invest in a slew of public works projects and non-profit organizations. Anything I could do that gave us a profit loss, I did it."

"So he… fired you?"

Duo laughed. "Naw. No way. No, if Heero hadn't gone and fucked up, I'd still be stuck working for Dad. But… well, after Heero… Dad realized that he couldn't make me do something that I hated so much. So he let me go. And I've been teaching ever since."

Trowa frowned as a thought occurred to him. "You aren't just a teacher, are you?"

"Whaddya mean? I already told you that I coach the baseball team, too."

"No – this school is in the Bronx. Any chance it's on Yuy Inc. controlled property?"

Duo held his hands up in surrender. "It _might_ have been one of those non-profit organizations I threw millions of dollars at while I still worked for the company."

Trowa chuckled.

"Hey, it's a good cause. At the time, I invested the money because I was jealous – I met the administrator and some of the teachers and it was like, the perfect idea. This school. If I'd had my way, that was what I wanted to be doing with my life. It was only some crazy twist of fate that they needed a math teacher right when Dad let me go."

"So you got your dream job at the expense of your relationship with Odin."

"No, actually. We get along – er, _got_ along – great. Always did. If anything, after I stopped working for the company, we were closer. I got to be who I was, and he didn't have to work so hard to mold me into being a Heero clone. It was just better for everyone."

"Why did he leave you the stock stares and the senior board positions?" Trowa asked the question that had been bothering him for hours.

Duo's gaze sharpened. "So now we get back to your client's personal assets, huh? That why you came here tonight, to figure out what I did and get back Heero's precious legacy?"

Trowa sighed. "No, that isn't why I'm here."

"Then why?"

Trowa frowned as he considered the answer. In all honesty, part of him was deeply curious about the relationship between Heero and Duo, and he did want to find out more. Part of him was genuinely concerned for Duo – he had looked absolutely devastated when he fled the reading hours ago, and Trowa hadn't even been sure he would find him at the bar. And another part of him had actually been looking forward to sitting down with Duo again and trying to recapture the casual flirtation of their previous date.

Eventually Trowa shrugged. "My day also hit world record shitty and I was looking forward to spending time with you," he finally said.

It was definitely the right answer. After a moment, Duo relaxed and he took another sip of his beer.

"Yeah, well, meeting Fei will do that," he muttered and Trowa smiled in appreciation of that statement.

They drank the rest of the pitcher in silence, and Duo ordered another. They were halfway through that before Duo spoke again.

"As a kid, Heero had trouble adjusting to school. He had private tutors up until first grade, and then Dad thought he should be sent to a school – a very elite, very private, very expensive school – so that he could be socialized and get used to interacting with his peers. Didn't work out so well. Heero was so used to being on his own, or at least being the only kid, that he kind of freaked out. That first year he found himself in the headmaster's office at least once a week and he was doing horribly in all of his classes. So, Dad took him to see a shrink. The shrink advised that the different situations – populated school and empty, isolated home life – were wrecking havoc on Heero's psyche and he just couldn't adapt. So Dad had the brilliant idea to give Heero a sibling. Mother refused to have more children, so for Heero's sixth birthday, he got me as a present."

"You're adopted?"

"Yep. You do realize that I look nothing like any of them, right? I mean, my hair is almost the same shade as Mother's before she decided to go blonde. But…"

"Why didn't you take their name?"

"I like my own just fine," Duo said with enough force that Trowa guessed this to be a sore subject.

"How old were you?"

"Five. Dad thought that a younger brother – but still close in age – would teach Heero responsibility _and_ camaraderie. Two for the price of one! So, I was quite the bargain."

Trowa really didn't know what to say after that, so he remained silent and finished off his beer.

"So are you… good at your job?" Duo eventually asked.

Trowa couldn't help but smirk.

" _Would_ you like to see my references?" He asked, only half in amusement.

"Nah, I trust Heero's judgment. Well, to an extent. Just... tell me a little about yourself."

"I graduated at the top of my class from Harvard Law, spent a few years in Paris working for the Merquise Group, then I worked as Quatre Winner's personal asset manager for two years."

Duo blinked. "Oh. Okay then. I guess you ah… know what you're doing."

"I wish Wufei was so easy to convince," Trowa muttered.

"Yeah, well, he's immune to handsome, intelligent men so – actually, I think he _hates_ handsome, intelligent men. But he hates women even more." Duo shrugged. "He basically hates everyone except for Heero. Don't take it personally."

"I'll try not to," Trowa responded.

"So… as my employee, you've got to do what I tell you, right?"

Trowa's eyes narrowed.

"I'm your brother's employee. I'm available to you for legal expertise," he repeated.

Duo waved a hand. "Sure, sure. Whatever. So, say that I had important legal documents back at my place – you'd have to come over and go through them with me if I asked, right?" Duo was grinning smugly.

"What happened to not falling into bed with some guy?"

"You aren't some guy, you're, ah, invested." Duo decided with a wink.

"This complicates everything. A relationship with you would be an incredibly bad idea."

Duo frowned. "Sure, things are complicated, but that doesn't make this a bad idea. We're the same people we were a few nights ago – and this didn't seem like a bad idea to you then."

Trowa shook his head. "I can't. It's not professional."

"No, it's personal. It's completely separate from your professional life. I promise. I won't even flirt with you when you're on the clock." Duo put a hand over his heart and winked.

"And what about Heero?"

Duo scowled. "What about him?"

"If he found out –he would assume that I would take your side in any legal disputes. And trust me, the way things ended today, there are bound to be legal disputes."

"Right, because following Dad's last wishes would end in such disaster! I can't believe that you –"

Duo swept his hand to the side, knocking over the pitcher of beer on the table between them. Trowa closed his eyes and forced himself to remain calm as the cold beer poured into his lap.

"Shit. I'm sorry. That was an accident. I'm –" Duo started to pat Trowa's crotch with a napkin, trying ineffectually to mop up the spilled beer.

Trowa's eyes snapped open.

"Duo, stop."

"I'm sorry. Seriously. I'm a clumsy moron and I –" Duo didn't stop, and Trowa felt himself begin to respond to the hand brushing against his cock.

"Duo. Stop." Duo's eyes jerked up to Trowa's and then his face turned red as he felt movement under his hand.

"Er. Sorry. I didn't mean – ah. Okay." Duo pulled his hand away and put both of his hands on the table and looked sheepish. "Sorry."

Trowa grabbed the linen napkin from the table, dumping out the rolled up silverware, and used it to cover the stain and his erection as he stood and left the booth in search of the men's restroom.

Once inside, he wet the napkin in the sink and tried to rub out the beer. It only made things worse and the dampness spread.

Cursing, Trowa threw the napkin in the sink. This was such a mess – everything was a mess. Here he was, less than a week at a new job, and he was contemplating a relationship with his boss. His sort-of boss. Who happened to be completely irresistible and even more exasperating.

Trowa gripped the sink and glared at his reflection in the mirror. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't let anything develop between himself and Duo.

The door banged open and Trowa looked up to see Duo. The long haired man ran a hand through his hair in what Trowa realized was a nervous gesture.

"Look, I'm sorry. About everything. I'm an idiot, I know that, and I –"Trowa crossed the space and forced Duo backwards until he bumped into the door. "Um –" Trowa covered Duo's mouth with his own, silencing him.

Duo responded almost instantly, opening his mouth and darting his tongue out to taste Trowa's lips. Trowa groaned, opened his own mouth, and let his tongue duel with Duo's.

By the time they pulled apart, both men were breathing hard, and one of Duo's hands had a death grip on Trowa's ass, while one of Trowa's hands was cupping Duo's jaw and the other buried in his hair.

Duo looked as shell shocked as Trowa felt.

"Yeah, I'm not going to be able to not flirt with you at work," Duo said and launched himself back at Trowa.

After they broke apart for a second time, Trowa rested his forehead against Duo's and waited for his speeding heart rate to slow.

"This is such a bad idea," he said again.

"Yeah, well, I'm known for being full of bad ideas," Duo said.

"We can't," Trowa tried to reason.

"Says the guy who practically jumped me in a public bathroom." Duo leaned into Trowa, grinding their pelvises together. Trowa groaned at the contact. "'Sides, I think all evidence says that we _can_."

Duo smirked and Trowa had to kiss him again.

"My place or yours?" Duo asked when they broke apart a third time.

It took Trowa almost a solid minute to make himself shake his head.

"No, this cannot happen. If Heero found out – he would not… be inclined to let it go."

"Right. Right." Duo's hands fell away from Trowa. "Can't go upsetting Heero, now can we?"

Trowa took a step back and frowned at the bitterness in Duo's voice.

"Duo –"

"No, no. You're right. He's the boss, after all. Yeah." Duo nodded and then straightened his clothes.

He took a deep breath and gave Trowa a smile that looked forced.

" Well. I'll uh… be seeing you, I guess." Duo reached behind him and pulled open the door, forcing Trowa to take a few more steps backwards to avoid being hit in the face.

"Way to go Trowa," he muttered and, a few minutes later, left the bathroom. He noticed that the booth was empty save for the empty pitchers, glasses, and a few twenty dollar bills.

Trowa left the pub and walked to the nearest subway station.

As he rode home, sandwiched between a junkie and an elderly woman knitting, Trowa mentally cursed himself.

So much for his resolve to not become involved with his boss. Again.

* * *

Next up: Finally a Duo POV!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Chapter 5**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: Holy crap this is a long chapter! Just a warning!

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter V**

Duo woke up on Saturday morning with one of the worst hangovers he had had in a long time.

He groaned and covered his head with a pillow, intent on denying the sun's existence and spending the rest of his life bundled in his sheets, hidden from the world.

He made a mental promise, not for the first time, to never drink bourbon again. Especially not after sharing three pitchers of beer. And especially not a fifth of bourbon on his own.

Just as he had made the room stop spinning and convinced his stomach to settle down, Duo's phone started to ring.

He groaned and slapped in the direction of his nightstand, hoping to decline the call, or at the least smash his phone so he didn't have to hear that ridiculously loud and persistent ring tone.

His fingers found his phone and he gripped it as he felt for the 'off' button. Just as he was about to press it, he thought better of it.

In light of yesterday's events, this phone call could be extremely important.

Duo accepted the call and brought the phone under his protective cocoon of pillows.

"Hello?" He croaked.

"Duo Maxwell, did you forget?" Hilde Schiebecker shrieked into the phone.

"Agh! Not so loud! Jesus Christ!" Duo held the phone away from his ear, but he could still hear ringing in his eardrums. "Forget what?" He asked cautiously after a moment.

"That you're refereeing the soccer game with me this afternoon?" Hilde demanded in a sharp voice.

"Er… no I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Remember that text I sent you last night at… two-thirty? Jeff's wife went into labor and he asked you to stand in for him."

"Uh…"

"Duo, how hung-over are you?'

"On a scale of one to ten?" It took a minute to think of the answer, and that moment allowed his mind to wander. To yesterday afternoon. To last night. To that ridiculously HOT kiss in the bathroom. To the fifth of bourbon. Eventually, after an impatient noise from Hilde, he pulled his mind back to the present. "Eleven. Definitely eleven."

"Alright. I'll be over in half an hour with supplies."

"Hil, I love you. I really, really do."

"I know." Hilde used her typical reply, injected with her standard level of exasperation with him, and hung up.

Duo pushed the phone out from the cocoon and curled back up.

He slept for the half hour it took before Hilde was pounding at his front door.

At least, he hoped it was Hilde, because it was a monumental feat for him to make it to the door at all. Putting on clothing would have simply been impossible.

He opened the door and leaned on it to support himself. Hilde swept inside, arms laden with Dean & Deluca bags. She looked at Duo's attire, or rather, lack of attire, with a slight frown of disapproval.

Hilde herself was dressed in black leggings, an oversized black and green patterned t-shirt that she had belted at the waist, and flat black shoes.

"You weren't kidding about the eleven, I see. I don't think you've been drunk enough to lose your clothes since we were in college."

Duo smiled slightly, appreciating the fact that she was speaking to him in a low, soothing tone of voice.

"Yeah, well, I still tend to lose my clothes. Just in a more private setting, yanno."

Hilde rolled her eyes and went into his kitchen and dumped the bags on the central island. She dug inside one and pulled out a bottle of Pepto Bismol as well as a can of Diet Coke.

Duo watched in resignation as she poured both into a glass and shoved it at him.

"Hil, I'm still not sure this actually works," he said.

"So you've been doing the same thing for twelve years with no conviction?" She questioned.

Duo knew she was referring to the drink, but he couldn't help but think about the inheritance Odin had left him.

"Well, it's habit," he stalled, refusing to look at the toxic sludge in his hand.

"Do you or do you not feel better after drinking it?"

"Um. I feel like shit. And then I spew it out, along with anything else in my stomach."

"And _then_ you feel better, right?" She persisted. "Trust me, this is the easiest way to purge your system. Now, drink it, vomit, shower, and put on some boxers at least. I'm flattered by the morning salute, but, well, you're not really my type."

"God I love you," Duo muttered and downed the glass in one terrible gulp. He literally had to sprint to the bathroom to avoid a mess on his floor.

After he completed Hilde's prescribed regimen – going one better and putting jeans and a faded Yankees t-shirt on in addition to the requested boxers – his nose led him out to the kitchen.

Hilde was hard at work at the stove, frying sausage and making scrambled eggs.

Normally Duo avoided eggs at all cost, but they were, he had discovered through extensive research, a very good post binge drinking night breakfast.

"So, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that yesterday did not go well," Hilde said, without taking her gaze from the stove.

Duo snorted. "Yeah, that's a way of putting it."

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "I also noticed that since you don't have some gorgeous naked man in your bed, you did _not_ take my advice and set up a date with that hot lawyer you met."

"Actually, I _did_ take your advice, and that just… ugh." Duo groaned and buried his head in his hands. "I hate my life," he muttered.

"Yes, and I have such overwhelming sympathy for you." She frowned. "Where's your maid, anyway?"

He looked up, thought about going for the joke, and then thought better of it considering the fact that Hilde was very, very dangerous with a spatula.

"Housekeeper, and she's at the new place," he said.

Hilde nodded.

"I keep forgetting." She looked around the mostly empty apartment. "I'm going to miss it here. Good memories."

"Yeah, well… Dad said he was giving these apartments to Heero and that was one promise he managed to keep, so, time to move!" He didn't bother to keep the bitterness from his voice.

"Is Heero going to make you pay rent on the house?" Hilde asked.

"Uh, no."

"That's good of him," Hilde said.

"Yeah, well, it'd be really shitty of him to try to charge me rent considering that he doesn't own it," he said.

Hilde arched an eyebrow.

"Odin gave the Brownstones to Celia? She'll knock them down in a month."

"No, he gave them to me."

Hilde was silent for a moment.

"All of them?" She asked.

"Yeah. Crazy, right?"

"Wow. I guess he realized how much you loved them."

Duo shrugged. He had been surprised, but not shocked, that Odin had left him the houses. Hilde was right – Celia probably would knock them down and sell the property, and Heero… he had never appreciated the houses like Duo did.

"Okay, breakfast is ready, so time to spill. What exactly happened?" Hilde sat a plate of food in front of him as well as a glass of orange juice, and crossed her arms.

Duo took a few bites of food to avoid answering immediately, but eventually he spilled the story of the reading of the will, and the reactions of his family.

When he finished, Hilde looked thoughtful.

"Duo, I think you should fight for this. It's what Odin wanted."

He frowned. "You sure about that? Maybe this was one last chance for him to mess with Heero's head, you know?"

"Do you really think that Odin would put Yuy Inc. in jeopardy, just to carry on some stupid grudge against his son?"

Duo arched an eyebrow.

Hilde sighed. "Fine, maybe he would. But would he really subject _both_ of you to such an insane idea if there wasn't some logic to it? I mean, you _do_ have an MBA from Columbia! It's not as if they just give those out!"

"Hil, I don't want to hurt Heero. He's my brother, and as much as he drives me insane, I love him. I don't want to be a part of some scheme that Dad concocted to hurt him."

"But I'm saying that he didn't! What if – now hear me out, Duo – what if Odin, as he lay dying, thought back over his entire life and realized that his biggest regret was driving a wedge between himself and his sons. What if Odin realized that he had pitted you against Heero your whole lives, and he regretted that? What if he wanted you to be on the board and to serve as Chief Executive Officer because he thought that you would be GOOD at it and because he thought that Heero would need your support?"

Duo frowned and considered her words. He didn't know if his residual hangover was impairing his logic, but part of him thought that she could be speaking the truth.

"Maybe," he allowed.

"Look, it's not like you can get out of it anyway, is it?" She demanded.

Duo shook his head. "Not unless I'm incapacitated. So… I could just go on a drinking binge for the next year. That should take care of that."

Hilde arched an eyebrow at him.

"Really? You really want to drink more? Enjoy the feeling of vomit burning your throat that much, do you?" She asked in her sweetest voice.

"Ugh. Please. Stop." Duo massaged his stomach as her words gave him a visceral flash-back.

"Now, tell me what went wrong on the date."

Duo winced.

"Yeah, um, you see… Heero hired a new lawyer last week."

"Okay…" Hilde frowned, obviously not following the change of topic.

" And that lawyer happens to be some young hot-shot who Wufei hates. A lot, apparently."

"Meaning that he's a human being," Hilde clarified. "What does this have to –"

"And this new lawyer happens to be incredibly good looking. Tall, auburn hair. Amazing green eyes. Wears a suit like it was made for him. Has unfortunate taste in baseball teams…"

"No." Hilde had heard this description before, last week, when Duo had recounted his initial meeting with Trowa.

"Yes. Turned out that my hot date was my brother's new legal counsel."

Hilde winced.

"Oh Duo, that is such bad timing."

"It gets better. I'd called him just before the reading and set up a date for later that night, figuring I could use the drinking company and hopefully get him to ah, tuck me in for the night. Anyway, we met at the reading and well… figured out who we were. But he still came to the bar. Didn't think he would, so I kind of started without him…" Duo shrugged, thinking back through the haze of last night. "Hil, this guy is…I dunno. We talked for a while. It was nice, yanno? He listens really well. And then I spilled beer all over him." Hilde rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. And then we had this fucking unbelievable kiss. I'm talking fireworks and electricity and all that shit. It was…fuck. It was incredible. And then we kissed some more…. And then he told me that nothing could happen between us and I left. Oh, and then I came back here and drank a little bit of bourbon."

"Duo, that sounds like a really shitty day."

"Yeah. No kidding. It was wonderful to realize that everyone in my family still thinks I'm a worthless fuck-up, and then my chance for a sympathetic outsider to screw my brains out vanishes. Classic Yuy curse."

"Well, Yuy curse or not, it's eleven and we need to get going."

"I hate Jeff. I want you to tell him that, okay? Tell him congrats on the new baby and I hate him."

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'll be sure to pass on _that_ message on to him."

They took a cab over to Van Cortlandt park, a rare luxury for Hilde, who, for some reason Duo just could not fathom, loved to take the subway.

"You realize that I don't even like soccer, right? Or know the rules?" Duo groused when they arrived at the park.

"My heart bleeds for you," Hilde muttered as they started their trek to the soccer field beside the lake.

"So what are you going to do?" She asked as they neared their destination.

Duo shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, you're right, it's not like I can really get out of it. I guess I'll have to just suck it up and unearth my suits from the bottom of my closet."

"What about school?" She asked.

"I – shit. I didn't even think of that. There's no way that Heero would let me play corporate executive at night and laid-back math teacher during the day. Fuck me. It's only April – we've still got ten weeks of school to go."

"Talk to Dr. Po on Monday. I'm sure you can work something out."

"Yeah, like me quitting my job," Duo muttered and kicked a rock. He couldn't believe that Odin was doing this to him. "I guess Dad never really gave up on me going into the family business after all."

"What about Trowa?"

"What about him?" Duo growled. "I'm probably going to see him every day. Have to look at that amazing ass and listen to that voice and Christ, Hil, he wears reading glasses and he looks so fucking hot–"

"Yeah, okay. I think that answered my question." Hilde put an arm around his waist and leaned into his side.

"You know, if you ever want to get a sex change and become a lesbian, I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Yeah, and if you ever decide to get a sex change and become a gay man, right back at you."

It was their long-standing joke. They had met their first night of college at a party and both of them had been completely drunk. Duo had mistaken Hilde's short hair and boyishly thin frame for that of a boy. Hilde had mistaken Duo's long hair and boyishly thin frame for that of an anorexic girl. It had taken about thirty seconds of kissing and two wandering hands to realize just how wrong they both were. They had been friends ever since.

As they approached the soccer field, Duo scanned the uniformed kids in search of familiar faces.

"Isn't Nat on one of these teams?" He asked.

"Yeah – she's a Tiger," Hilde said and thrust a black and white polyester polo shirt into his hands.

"You owe me," Duo told her as he pulled it on over his Yankees shirt.

Hilde snorted.

"Right. Me making you breakfast, curing your hangover, and listening to you bitch about your seriously screwed up family life doesn't count for anything."

"Well… we're almost even in that case. Buy me dinner and I'll call it good."

Hilde laughed and pulled her own referee shirt on.

"I don't see her," Duo said, frowning.

"Who – Nat? There's still ten minutes til game time. Her mother's probably running late."

"Right."

Duo was willing to bet it was more than that. With Nathalie Fontaine it was _always_ more than that. She had been Duo's student for the past three years, and he had watched as her home-life continued to deteriorate and interfere with her school work, not to mention her stability. She had started off as a smart-ass kid who thought math was for 'squints' as she put it, and refused to learn. It had taken Duo almost a year to get through to her, and by that time he had become emotionally invested in her life. He had watched her closely this past year and had noticed marked changes in her behavior, almost as if she was reverting back to her old self, before she had realized that an education was a good thing and offered her a new life. Three times now this year she had come to school with bruises on her face and arms, and it was more common than not that she came to class with a dirty uniform on.

Duo was constantly torn between calling social services or not. The school already had, on numerous occasions – but not enough to get Nathalie put in foster care. Duo would not wish that fate on any child. But it was also clear that Nathalie was not flourishing in her current situation.

As if his gloomy thoughts had summoned her, he spotted Nathalie walking up to the soccer field. He jogged over to her.

"Hey, how's my favorite trouble mak –" his standard greeting trailed off as he took in her appearance.

She wasn't wearing her soccer uniform, for one thing. For another, the clothes she was wearing – her school uniform – were stained and actually torn in a few places. She was clutching her backpack straps so hard her knuckles were white, and she looked up at him with dark, defiant eyes. A hard look to pull off considering that one of her eyes was swollen shut and the right corner of her lip scabbed over.

"What happened?" He asked in a neutral tone, working very hard to keep the fury out of his voice.

"Nothing," she muttered.

"Nat. You are a worse liar than me."

She sneered.

"Same old, same old. Mere got wasted and mad and," Nathalie shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm fine. I just…"

"Nat, _when_ did your mother get wasted?"

"Thursday night."

Nathalie hadn't been in class on Friday, not an unusual occurrence of late, and it had given Duo pause. If he hadn't been more anxious about the reading of the will he would have called her house to ask where she was.

"So you stayed home to take care of her yesterday?" He hazarded.

"Nah. She kicked me out."

"She – you've – _when_ did she kick you out?" Duo didn't even bother to keep the anger out of his voice this time.

"Thursday."

"You've spent two nights on the street."

She shrugged.

"Why didn't you call me? You've got my cell!"

"I can take care of myself! I don't need some stupid teacher to tell me what to do!"

She turned, as if to go, and Duo stopped her.

"Wait, wait, wait. I know you don't need me, kiddo, but, hell, class on Friday sucked without you there to call me on my shit."

That almost earned him a smile.

"Yeah, well," she shrugged and started to walk away again.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I dunno. Doesn't really matter."

"Home?" He suggested.

"Never. I'm done."

Duo didn't blame her, but the conviction in her voice made him wince.

"No soccer today?" He asked.

"I don't have my uniform, 'sides, I don't feel like it."

"Yeah. Me either. Hey, why don't I take you out for lunch instead?"

She looked ready to say no, but her stomach grumbled at the mention of food. Duo was willing to bet that she hadn't actually eaten since Thursday.

"I guess," she shrugged.

"Great. Lemme tell Hilde – wait here, okay?"

Nat shrugged, but Duo held her gaze until she nodded.

Duo sprinted back to where Hilde was speaking with the two team coaches.

"Hey, sorry, I can't stay." He pulled off the shirt and held it out to her.

"Wha –" she looked past him to where Nathalie was waiting. "Is she okay?"

"Definitely not. I'm sorry."

"You owe me," Hilde said as Duo turned away.

"Put it on my tab!" He called over his shoulder as he ran back to Nathalie.

* * *

After gorging on two happy meals, Nathalie looked a little better. Her face still looked like it had been used for boxing practice, but she sat a little straighter in her chair, and her scowl definitely had more force behind it now.

"So, how are you doing with your homework?" He asked after taking a loud sip of his Coke.

She glared at him. "Yeah, cuz I've definitely been keeping up with that shit."

"There's a shelter near the school –"

She was up and sprinting out of the restaurant like a shot and it took Duo half the block to catch up with her. He finally got close enough to grab her arms and gently forced her to stop.

"Okay, no shelter." He promised.

There were tears in her eyes and Duo swallowed hard. This tough as nails kid _never_ cried.

"Promise." It was definitely a command.

"I do. I promise."

They were interrupting the flow of pedestrian traffic, so Duo led her over to a bench on the sidewalk.

"You know, I'm moving into a new house today," he said conversationally.

"So?" She was perched on the edge of the bench, ready to take off again at the slightest provocation.

Duo mentally sighed. It was as if the last three years had vanished and all of her trust had evaporated. He gave her mother a silent fuck you.

"Well, it's a pretty big place. I've got a few spare rooms. You could, you know, crash there for a while. Til you figure out what you wanna do."

She looked suspicious.

"You aren't going to call the cops?"

"You gonna kill me in my sleep?"

She snorted.

"Nah. You're like the only teacher who thinks I'm not an idiot."

"Well, you're not an idiot."

"Whatever." She shrugged and stared down at her shoes.

"Thing is," Duo continued. "If you stay with me, you gotta go back to school. And you've got to do your homework."

"You… you won't send me back to her?" This was asked with more fear than the question about calling the cops, and it broke Duo's heart. She looked up at him and Duo would have promised her anything in that moment, with that look on her face.

"You don't want to go back?" He asked, just to be sure. She vehemently shook her head. "Then no, I won't send you back. Will you go to school?"

She nodded just as vehemently.

"Good. There's only one other thing."

She started to get the deer in the headlights look again.

Duo scratched at the back of his neck.

"You kinda stink, kid, and those clothes don't look like they'd survive my washer." Not that Duo even knew how to operate his washer.

"So?" She demanded.

"Well, I'm kind of known for my sense of style and awesome personal hygiene." He brushed invisible lint from his shirt.

She rolled her eyes.

"So, if you're gonna hang with me, you need some new threads."

"I don't want charity!"

"It ain't charity. Calm down. It's self-preservation. You'll ruin my rep. 'Sides, you're doing me a favor."

She scowled, obviously not buying it.

Duo sighed.

"Look, Nat, my Dad died two weeks ago and he left me… a shitload of money. So, I've got some cash to burn."

"What? Like how much, like a thousand?" Nathalie asked.

Duo coughed. "No, it's uh, a bit more than that."

"Like ten thousand?"

"Like forty million." Not including real estate or stock shares, Duo mentally added.

Nathalie stared at him.

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"Bullshit."

"I'm not making it up. Besides, if you think I'm lying, let's go to a store and find out, yeah?"

Duo stood and after a moment Nathalie reluctantly followed suit.

"Yeah, well, you could just put it on your credit card – like my mom does."

"Okay. Then hang around long enough for me to get my credit card bill and watch as I pay it off."

"Yeah, but you could just write a bad check."

"What? You want me to go to an ATM and make a withdrawal? Not like I can take it all out, you know. Or like it's all in one place." Which was true. Odin hadn't actually left Heero or Duo money in his will. Instead, both men had inherited money from him, and from Celia's mother, in the form of trust funds. Rosemary Powell, Celia's mother, had set aside fifteen million for each of them, which they had inherited at the age of twenty-one. Odin had made them wait a few more years, until they were twenty-five, before allowing them access to the twenty-five million he had set aside for each of them. Odin didn't want to leave them money in his will – confident that by overseeing their spending of his fortune while he was alive, he would keep them from doing anything stupid with the money.

"Yeah, that sounds like an excuse. A liar's excuse."

"You're killing me, Nat. Absolutely killing me." Duo held out a hand and flagged down a taxi.

"Barneys, over on Madison," Duo instructed the driver after he pushed Nathalie into the backseat and scooted in beside her.

"Barneys? What's that?" Nathalie demanded.

"It's like the best place in the world. No joke." Duo looked at her profile, taking in her defiant posture and proud face. She had always been a striking child. As the daughter of North African immigrants, her skin was an amazing light golden-brown, and her long black hair, when washed, looked like silk. At the moment it was pulled back in a sloppy pony tail, and Duo could tell that it had been a while since it had been washed.

He sighed and pulled out his phone to text Sara, his housekeeper, and warn her about the house guest that would be joining them for the foreseeable future.

"I'm sorry your dad died," Nathalie mumbled.

Duo blinked back sudden tears.

"Yeah. Me too."

"You liked him?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"He was a good man. He… loved me and I loved him."

"Yeah, well…" Nathalie's own father had abandoned her and her mother not long after her birth, Duo knew.

They arrived at Barneys and Nathalie looked at it skeptically.

"We couldn't go to like, Old Navy or something?" She asked.

Duo snorted. "No, we definitely couldn't go to Old Navy." He remembered when he, as a teenager, had asked his mother the same thing. It was winter, and Old Navy was running those catchy 'Performance Fleece' commercials non-stop, and Duo had never even _felt_ fleece before. When he had made the request, Celia looked absolutely stricken.

They walked in, and Duo hung back, letting Nathalie take in the multi-storey department store on her own for a moment.

"Er, excuse me, _Miss_. But I think you might be lost." A sales associate, a leggy brunette with a scowl on her face, had swooped in and was looking at Nathalie as though the girl was radioactive.

"No, I think we're in the right place," Duo stepped up and put a hand on Nathalie's shoulder. The woman arched an eyebrow as she took in Duo's appearance, which, while clean, wasn't up to his usual standards.

"Is Travis working today?" Duo asked. She nodded reluctantly. "Great. Then we won't waste any of your time. Tell him that Mr. Maxwell is here, will ya? Thanks!" Duo waved her away and her scowl became even more pronounced. She turned and walked away.

"Let's get outta here," Nathalie mumbled.

"What? Why?"

"Cuz that lady was a bitch."

"Yeah, which makes this next part a lot of fun. Trust me."

She looked disbelieving, but she allowed him to leave his hand on her shoulder, which he thought was a major sign of trust.

It was less than a minute later when Travis walked up, the leggy brunette behind him, her face pale. Travis himself did not look too pleased.

"Duo, I'm so thrilled that you stopped by today, and that you brought another new friend!" Travis smiled widely at Nathalie. "I'm Travis," he said and held out a hand.

She looked up at Duo, who nodded. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and held out her own.

"Nat," she said. Duo prodded her. "Nathalie Fontaine."

"That's a beautiful name, Nathalie. This," he jerked his shoulder to indicate the woman, "is Martha. Not a very pretty name, unfortunately for her. But, she has something she would like to say to you."

Martha stepped forward, and now her cheeks were stained red. Whether it was embarrassment or anger, Duo couldn't tell.

"Ms. Fontaine, I am so very sorry to have been rude to you. I do hope you will forgive me."

Nathalie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, stop being such a bitch."

Both Duo and Travis had to smother their laughter at that, and at the look on Martha's face.

"I'll work on it," Martha said and stormed off.

"So, now that _that's_ done, we need some clothes, Trav."

Travis arched an eyebrow. "Not that I'm complaining about your current companionship, but what happened to that gorgeous man you came in here with last week?"

Duo winced. "Yeah. Turns out he's my brother's lawyer. So… let's never mention him again, k?"

Nathalie was listening earnestly, and Duo wondered if maybe he should have refrained from sounding so gay in front of her. She caught his concerned look and rolled her eyes.

"Please. I _know_ you're gay. You always stare at the hot dads at PTA meetings."

Duo scratched his head. "Yeah. Okay. Moving on. So, Trav, my bud here needs some new clothes. Her wardrobe sort of… took a vacation, and she's going to need the works."

"Of course. Let's go upstairs and get started. I will set up a dressing room and pull some things. In the meantime, is there anything you would like? Cookies, fruit, soda, chocolate milk?"

Nathalie's eyes went wide. "You get food while you shop?"

"Of course," Travis assured her.

"Cool."

By the time Duo brought Nathalie home after a day of shopping, a quick trip to his mother's favorite plastic surgeon to clean up her face, and another decent meal for dinner, Duo had to carry her up the stairs and inside. He was grateful to have had the foresight to have Travis send the new clothes to his house, because they had definitely bought out almost everything from the girls section.

Sara opened the door at his soft knock and gave him an exasperated look.

"You always did like to bring home strays," she chided him.

"Yeah, well, this one's going to need a little more caution and attention than a lost puppy."

She smiled softly at the sight of the girl sleeping on his shoulder.

"Which room did you set up for her?" He asked as he shifted her weight in his arms.

"The Yellow Room," she whispered. "Beside yours."

"Good choice. Thanks. That should be all for tonight." He walked past her and started up the stairs to the third floor of the five storey house.

"Your mother called to remind you about brunch tomorrow."

Duo groaned. "Of course. Will you call Anita in the morning and tell her that I'll be bringing a guest."

Sara raised an eyebrow.

"Well I can't just leave her here," Duo pointed out.

"Very well. Good night."

"Night, thank you."

Duo continued up the stairs to the fourth floor and walked to the open door at one end of the hall.

He walked in and couldn't help but smile at the sight. Instead of making up the bed with the standard linens, Sara had gone out and purchased a lavender and yellow coverlet, pillowcases, and matching sheet set. It was girlish, but not pink. He thought that Nathalie would enjoy waking up in the bed. He laid her down and took off her shoes and then covered her with the blanket, wincing at the thought that Sara would have to wash everything tomorrow after Nathalie had slept in the bed, unwashed, though, thankfully, in clean clothes.

Duo watched her sleep for a moment before turning out the light and walking down the hall to his own bedroom.

Even though it was still early – only nine – he felt exhausted. It had been a surprisingly long day, all things considered, and Duo just wanted to go to sleep and turn his brain off for a few hours.

He brushed his teeth and then did just that.

* * *

"So, you have to behave, okay? Because trust me on this, my mother is like… Dr. Po times a million." Duo had spent the car ride out to Southampton trying to give Nathalie a crash course in manners and how to deal with Celia Yuy.

Freshly washed, her hair in a neat braid down her back and her face looking a little less brutal after the attentions of Dr. Greenberg yesterday, Nathalie was wearing a blue striped dress that she had fallen in love with yesterday. It had been amusing for Duo, watching as she came out of the dressing room in dozens of different outfits, her expression shocked as she told him how much each one cost.

"Why are we going if it's going to suck so much?" She asked him, not for the first time.

"Because we have to. My Dad's will was read on Friday and he sort of… made a mess of everything. So we need to talk about it. Besides, kiddo, this is a weekly event. Get used to it."

She groaned. "Why am I living with you again?"

"Because you love the chocolate mochi in the freezer?" He hazarded. Sara had found Nathalie in the kitchen that morning, stuffing her face with Duo's favorite late night snack.

She blushed. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize. You can eat whatever you want. Just, uh, if you're going to eat ice cream before breakfast, try to be a bit sneakier about it. Sara doesn't approve."

"I can't believe you have a maid!"

"Housekeeper," he corrected reflexively.

"Yeah. Whatever. I mean… does she do your laundry and everything?"

"Yeah. But she doesn't pick up dirty clothes from the floor! So make sure you use the laundry basket in your closet."

"Which closet?" She muttered.

Duo couldn't help but smirk. Nathalie's rather jaundiced view on his life was amusing, and more than a little bit heartbreaking. It was one thing for her to be amazed – and disapproving – about having a maid. Entirely another that she had felt the need to sneak a glass of milk that morning and then tried to lie about it when Sara asked her if she wanted another. Duo sighed. It was going to take a lot of work to get Nathalie to relax and… enjoy her new life.

"You live here? This is a freakin' castle," Nathalie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Duo supposed that it did look like a castle. As a child, this home had been his favorite. Weekends and summers spent here meant playmates and the beach. And the chance to escape the critical eye of his mother.

"My mother leaves here, I haven't lived here in years. Jeez, you think I'm some creep that lives in my mom's basement?" He joked.

She smirked and hopped out of the car as soon as it stopped, almost smacking the driver with the door as he prepared to open it for her.

"Sorry," Duo told him and followed her.

"Is there gonna be a butler?" She asked.

"Knock," he instructed her, for once enjoying the formality his mother insisted on.

She did, very loudly.

A moment later the door opened to reveal Howard.

The normally unflappable man blinked as he took in Duo and then his shorter, female companion.

"Good morning, Mr. Maxwell, Ms. Fontaine."

"How does he know my name?" Nathalie whispered to Duo.

"He's a spy," he whispered back.

Howard rolled his eyes.

"Yes, please don't blow my cover," he whispered back.

Nathalie looked torn between insulting him and believing him, so Duo took the opportunity to usher her inside.

"Brunch is being served in the Rose Garden," Howard said.

"Thanks!"

Duo led Nathalie outside, grinning at her awed expression as she took in the interior of the massive home.

It seemed that, as usual, Duo had been the last to arrive. His mother, Heero, Wufei, Darlian, Relena, and Trowa were all already seated. The two open seats were between Wufei and Trowa, and as much as Duo felt bad for Nathalie's troubled life, there was no way he was going to sit beside Wufei. So he practically raced her to the table and took the seat beside Trowa.

The move earned him scowls around the table, and Wufei threw down his napkin in disgust and stood. He pulled out the empty chair to his right and waited for Nathalie to sit.

She looked at Duo. He nodded at the chair. She looked up at Wufei's scowling face.

"Please, do join us darling," Celia spoke up.

Duo's dire warnings about pissing off his mother must have sunk in, because Nathalie scrambled into the chair and hauled it close to the table, ignoring Wufei entirely.

"I confess, when Sara called this morning to say you would have a companion, I had anticipated someone…else," Celia said.

Duo looked around at the closed expressions on both Heero and Trowa's faces and guessed that his mother had probably announced that he was bringing some guy to brunch.

"Sorry to disappoint," he said cheerfully.

"Not at all. This young lady appears much more pleasant than your… usual friends. But you haven't introduced her, yet."

"Sorry. Mother, this is Nathalie Fontaine, one of my best students. Nathalie, this is my mother, my brother Heero, his lawyer Trowa Barton, Thomas Darlian, his daughter Relena Darlian, and that cranky guy to your left is Wufei Chang."

"A pleasure to meet you, dear," Celia said.

"Thank you?" Nathalie said with a cautious look in Duo's direction.

"Now that you are finally here," Wufei said. Duo wondered if the man knew any other way to start a conversation. "We should discuss the issues raised in Odin's will."

"Yes," Darlian chimed in from across the table. "I've spoken with other members of the board and the vast majority of them think that the idea of Mr. Maxwell acting as CEO is ludicrous."

Heero's sharp gaze focused on Darlian.

"Thomas, when did the board convene to have that discussion?" He asked in a steely tone of voice. Duo knew what it felt like to have that tone directed at him – like the times when he had 'borrowed' toys from Heero and accidently broken them.

"Well, there was no _meeting_ ," Darlian backpedaled. "I just gathered an informal poll."

"Hn."

"Odin's will is ironclad," Trowa spoke up and Duo forced himself not to look at the other man. Not that it helped much, the sound of his voice was enough to remind Duo of their Friday night make-out session in the bathroom.

"You aren't seriously suggesting that Duo Maxwell become a senior vice president and CEO of Yuy Inc.?" Darlian demanded.

"No, Odin did." Trowa pointed out, a bit of steel in his own voice.

"Duo, what do you think?" Heero asked.

Duo looked up at his brother. He looked exhausted, with faint bruises under his eyes and his messy hair just a bit messier than usual. Duo wished that he and Heero had spoken more in the past two weeks. He wished they had the kind of relationship where regular conversation was even possible. More often than not, every time they spoke they ended up fighting. And then not speaking for months.

He sighed. "I think it was a pretty crappy thing for Dad to do this without consulting _anyone_." He began. "But, Dad was a lot of things. Stupid wasn't one of them. I'm sure he had a good reason for doing what he did, and well, I guess we're kind of stuck with this for the next year."

"What about your job?" Trowa asked. Duo flattered himself by thinking that there was concern in Trowa's eyes.

Duo shrugged.

"Well I'm guessing that I'll have to quit."

"You're quitting?" Nathalie demanded beside him.

He looked down at her.

"Yeah, for a little while. I need to help out my brother," he nodded at Heero, "with our Dad's company."

She scowled. "So I'm going to have some new asshole as a math teacher."

There were several gasps from around the table, and Duo forced his smile into a neutral expression.

"Well, maybe. Maybe not. Tell you what, I'll personally pick my replacement and make him – or her – promise not to be an asshole."

Nathalie seemed to consider the proposition, and then nodded.

"Fine," she sighed and took another bite from the pancakes drowning in syrup on her plate. Duo made a mental note to arrange a visit to the dentist for her in the near future.

"So, just like that, you'll go back to work." Heero said.

"I'll go back to work at Yuy Inc. I've always _worked_." Duo sneered.

"The board- " Darlian began.

"The board will have ample opportunity to discuss their concerns at the next meeting," Heero interrupted.

There were a few moments of tense silence after that, as everyone ate and avoided eye contact with the fuming Darlian.

"Well, my charity ball is next week and I do hope you boys plan on bringing suitable dates," Celia broke the silence at last.

Duo groaned. He had completely forgotten about the ball. He had been a bit preoccupied with his father's death, the funeral, and everything else in his life.

He looked across the table and noticed Heero's scowl. It appeared that he, too, had had other priorities.

"Mother –" Heero began.

"Darling, it's a black tie affair, just as your father always enjoyed. You will honor his wishes and attend, of course."

Duo winced. He wondered how much mileage his mother was going to get out of that threat before it lost its power. A few years, at least.

"So I can bring whoever?" Duo asked with a smirk.

Celia's eyes narrowed.

"I would prefer it if you would take one of the suitable men of our acquaintance," she bit out.

Duo shrugged. "Yeah, bit boring, though."

"I'm still free," Relena suddenly spoke up, her large blue eyes fixed on Heero's face.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you aren't really my type, Relena. But since you _still_ haven't been asked out, I guess I could take you."

It took two seconds for his words to sink in and she turned furious eyes on him. He grinned.

"Of course I've been asked! Trant would be thrilled to go with me."

"Okay, well, I just thought – what with you throwing yourself at me –"

"You thought wrong! I'm going with Trant!"

Across the table, Heero shot him a relieved look. Duo winked.

"I'll bring Hilde, if you don't mind," Duo told his mother. She immediately relaxed.

"Lovely. She is such a charming girl." Celia had long harbored the secret hope that the smart, attractive tom-boy that Duo had claimed as his best friend would turn out to be man enough for Duo to marry. She had no idea that, Duo's preferences aside, Hilde would rather have a go with _her_ than with either of her sons.

Duo shuddered as the memory of _that_ confession came back to him.

"Heero?" She turned to her other son.

He frowned.

"I'm certain that Trowa and I will be working late. I will put in an appearance, however."

"Nonsense, both of you will." She smiled at the new lawyer.

Trowa blinked but looked neutral.

Duo scowled as he looked at his mother, practically seeing the wheels turning in her mind.

Was she trying to set them up?

He slumped back in his chair and glared at his food.

Celia Yuy seemed to vacillate between denying that both of her sons were gay and whole-heartedly embracing their sexual preferences. It wasn't unusual for her to spend an entire dinner party shoving Relena into Heero's lap and then introduce him to the handsome, successful son of one of her friends the next day.

And Trowa, Duo mused, was exactly the type that Celia _liked_ to push in Heero's direction. He was handsome, obviously intelligent, obviously well connected, successful.

Duo's dark thoughts turned even darker when he noticed Heero looking over at Trowa, his lips slightly turned up.

It seemed that Celia wasn't the only one in favor of the matchmaking attempts, then.

"Hey, Trowa, mind if I borrow you for a moment? For some legal expertise? In private?"

Trowa gave him an exasperated look, but Duo rose from the table, and the other man, obviously more well mannered than Duo, followed him.

Duo walked until they were on the beach, far out of sight and ear-shot of everyone else.

"Duo – we can't –"

"Relax, I'm not going to jump you. I really do need legal expertise." He was gratified to notice that Trowa looked slightly disappointed.

"Nat's mother kicked her out of the house on Thursday night, and I found her yesterday. She's going to be staying with me for… as long as she wants. Anyway, it might become a legal issue. So, thought I'd give you a heads up."

Trowa's jaw dropped.

"It _might_ become a legal issue? Duo, that girl's mother could charge you with abduction –"

"Sure, if she was sober enough to even spell it," Duo muttered. "Look, I'm not interested in a lecture. Just…what can you do that keeps her away from Nat?"

"Is that really in the best interests of the child?" Trowa asked thoughtfully.

"Well yeah. Unless you think being homeless and/or having the shit kicked out of her by her own mother is better for her."

Trowa scowled and swore under his breath.

"I'll see what I can do to get you temporary custody. Family law is…very far outside of my area of expertise. I might need to refer you to someone else. But I'll take care of it."

Duo grinned.

"Thanks. See, I knew you'd be good at private, legal discussions."

Trowa rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly.

Duo marveled, not for the first time, at how amazingly good looking Trowa was. He had dressed appropriately for brunch in knakis and a navy, v-neck sweater that hugged his arms and chest just enough to show off a toned body without looking obscene.

Duo looked behind them, back towards the house, but no one had followed them. He decided to risk it, and closed the distance between them.

"Duo," Trowa said warningly.

"Hey, there's a lot of space out here. Not like in a bathroom. I'm not backing you up into a door. _You_ can run if you want."

He was glad that they were almost the same height, with Trowa's nose just slightly above his own. He bumped their noses together, and Trowa smiled. Duo took that as encouragement and brushed his lips over Trowa's.

There it was again. The fireworks. The electricity. He was aware of Trowa's arms wrapping around him even as he pulled the other man closer and grabbed his ass.

Trowa's tongue seemed intent on locating his tonsils, and Duo was perfectly satisfied to let the man search to his heart's content.

Duo had never been a fan or raspberry jelly, but he could taste it in Trowa's mouth, and he was quickly revising his opinion of it.

It was several moments before they pulled apart, Duo with a groan and Trowa with a resigned look on his face.

"We're playing with fire," Trowa said.

Duo was pleased to note that he hadn't pulled away entirely.

"Always been a bit of a pyromaniac," Duo confessed.

Trowa chuckled and then stepped back, his arms falling away from Duo. Duo let him go and instead shoved his hands in his pockets, wondering what would happen next.

He watched as Trowa ran a hand through his hair, momentarily lifting his long bangs away from his face and revealing both of his eyes at once.

"I'm going to see you every day," Trowa said.

"Yep," Duo agreed with a grin.

"Fuck me," Trowa muttered.

That startled a laugh out of Duo.

"That was definitely on my to-do list," Duo assured him.

Trowa smirked and then sighed. He jerked his head back in the direction of the house, and Duo started walking back with him.

"So… dinner on Tuesday?" Duo asked with a grin.

Trowa started to shake his head, but Duo pushed him into a tall hedge and kissed him again.

"So?" Duo repeated after he pulled away.

"Not fair," Trowa said and then tried to brush the leaves out of his hair.

Duo chuckled at the sight.

"I'll cook for us," he said.

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"What? I know how to cook."

Trowa still looked skeptical.

"You'll see," Duo promised him and then walked ahead.

He resumed his seat beside Nathalie and ignored the curious looks from everyone else. He refrained from looking over at Trowa when the other man sat down beside him.

The rest of the meal was spent in relative peace, with Wufei making a few pointed remarks about what a drastic lifestyle change Duo was about to undergo, and Relena making a fool of herself as she attempted to flirt with Heero. Duo managed to keep his eyes focused away from Trowa for the most part, but his gaze did stray a few times.

As they got up to leave, Trowa held Duo back a moment.

"Seven?" He asked.

"Sounds perfect." Duo looked at his lips, imagining the way the felt on his, and then turned around and winked at Nathalie. She rolled her eyes.

"You're pathetic," she said.

"Whaddya mean?"

"It's so obvious that you like him."

"It is?"

She gave him a look.

"You might as well have started passing notes. It was gross."

* * *

Next up: A little brotherly competition!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Chapter 6**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: I try to respond to my reviews, but I want to just say: thank you everyone who has reviewed this, and thank you folks who have put this on your alert list, and your favorite list. And thank you also all 350+ visitors who have given this story a look! I hope that you all continue to enjoy it and I really, really appreciate you taking the time to read it!

A/N#3: Argh! There be lemons ahead! But in all seriousness. If you don't want the details, when you get to the part where clothes start to come off…you can keep reading. But when clothes start coming off again, THEN you should skip to the end. Also, while no expert, I am trying to depict the relationships here as those between adult men. So… keep that in mind. Please and thank you.

A/N #4: Another warning: Duo's potty mouth is, well, a LOT dirtier this chapter. Sorry if that offends. Just substitute with logical words like 'witch,' 'aw shucks,' and 'mother lover.'

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter VI**

Trowa wasn't perfect. There were many things he did well, but also many things he failed miserably at.

Law, that was something he was good at. He could look at a situation, see both sides, and devise strategies and arguments that ensured a victory. Justice, the legal system – it was a puzzle. Trowa had always been good at puzzles.

Fitting in, playing the role of a confident, successful lawyer. He was also good at that. He knew what was expected of him, and he could easily dress and act the part.

Relationships. Those were failures. Every single one of them. From his first, to his latest, Trowa had never had a successful one. His measure of success wasn't even that high – he assumed that any relationship that lasted three months and ended with an amicable separation could be considered at least moderately successful. Trowa supposed that his relationship with Quatre at least met the time requirement – eleven years. But in terms of an amicable separation… even in terms of the relationship itself… no, Trowa had failed even at that one.

Saying no to his sister. Another long list of failures there. Their parents had died when Trowa was ten, and Catherine just nineteen. She had raised him from then on, fighting tooth and nail to keep him from being sent to foster care, and as such, she was more than just his sister. Whenever she asked him for something, it was nearly impossible to say no because of the sense of guilt he would feel, knowing that she had never denied him anything.

Catherine's Monday morning call caught Trowa off guard. He was already at work, already buried in documents, deeds, and statements pertaining the will of Odin Lowe Yuy, when his phone started to ring with the tone he had programmed in to alert him of his sister's calls.

"Trowa Barton, very important person," he answered. She laughed and he smiled at the rich sound.

"Well, I'm ever so glad that you could take time out of your very important life to speak with your sister."

"No trouble, I hear that she's might be important one day, if she tries harder," he responded.

She snorted.

"Yes, well, _anyway_. Tell me everything. How was your first week?"

They only spoke on the phone once a week, unless there was an emergency, because Trowa hated lengthy phone conversations, and after years of forcing him to call her, Catherine had finally accepted the fact that if she wanted a conversation from him that was more than mere monosyllables, she should keep it to once a week. Emails, and even texts, Trowa was fine to furnish her with on a much more frequent basis.

"Interesting. Not nearly as painful as working for Quatre," he said.

"Yes, well, you aren't in love with your boss, so I'm sure that makes it easier."

He was silent just a moment too long.

"Trowa. You are _not_ in love with your boss."

"I'm not," he agreed quickly.

"But?" She asked in an exasperated sigh.

"I seem to have been dating one of them."

"You – _seem_ – _one_ of them?" It sounded as though Catherine couldn't decide where to start her lecture.

Pausing frequently for her exclamations of "Oh, Trowa" he related the events of the past few days to her.

"Well, you always do this to yourself," she said when he finished.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded, annoyed and conscious of the fact that he was, in fact, at work, and this call had already taken longer than he wanted it to.

"This is your classic pattern. You meet someone that you perceive to be somehow… above you, and you fall in love with them. And then you torture yourself for months or years in a relationship that isn't an equal partnership."

Trowa frowned.

"I think you're exaggerating."

"Quatre Winner."

"Well, yes."

"Zechs Merquise."

"That wasn't –"

"It _was_ a relationship. No, you didn't love him, but he used you for meaningless sex."

"I used him too," Trowa muttered.

"Michael Trant."

"What – that was _years_ ago."

"My _point_ is that this is a pattern you constantly engage in. Why can't you meet someone who likes you as an equal, and treats you like one?"

"Duo isn't –"

"Trowa. He's your boss."

"He wasn't when we met," Trowa grumbled. He hated when Catherine lectured him, hated even more when she was right.

"But he is _now_. If you want my advice –"

"Which I _don't_ –"

"-then you should stop messing around with him. Go out, meet some nice, young professional like you. Another lawyer. A doctor maybe. Someone who would understand your crazy hours and still appreciate your genius."

Trowa resisted the urge to bang his head on his desk.

"Catherine. I'll be fine."

"What happens when Heero finds out you're sleeping with his brother?" She demanded.

Trowa winced. He was still trying to wrap his mind around that one, himself.

"I don't know."

"He'll probably fire you," Catherine pointed out.

"He could," Trowa agreed.

"You are an insane person," Catherine cried in exasperation.

"Your fault," he responded. She growled. "Listen, I need to get back to work – what are you doing next Wednesday night?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"There's this charity ball that I have to go to. Would you like to be my date? Then you can meet everyone and your lurid fantasies can have faces attached to them."

"I do _not_ have lurid fantasies about _your_ sex life," Catherine said. "Let me see if I can get a sitter for the twins."

"How are they?" Trowa asked.

"Anxious for summer. Hey, any chance you can take them out sometime this month? Baseball game, museum, something? They miss you, and having you this close and still not seeing much of you is frustrating for them."

"I'm sure I can arrange my schedule for one of these weekends coming up. Let me know about next Wednesday."

"Love you, little brother."

"Love you too," he said and hung up the phone.

He checked the time. It was nearly nine, and Duo was expected to arrive at any moment for the scheduled meeting between Trowa and the two brothers. He was NOT looking forward to it. Not after listening to Heero complain for nearly fifteen minutes earlier that morning about the fact that Duo refused to come in to work before nine.

It was only a few minutes later when Sherisse knocked at his door.

"He's here," she said as she poked her head in. The expression on her face made it clear that the two brothers were already arguing.

Trowa sighed, gathered a few papers and a legal pad, and went to run interference.

"…else does," Heero was growling at Duo when Trowa walked in.

"Well, everyone else is crazy. I'm not coming in before nine. There is no negotiation on that." He had his arms crossed and was glaring at his brother, still seated behind the imposing desk in the center of the room.

"This is your _job_ ," Heero argued.

"Yeah, well, Dad always made time to take _us_ to school when we were kids."

Heero frowned. "What time does Nathalie's school start?"

"Seven-thirty. And no, I'm not going to drop her off earlier just so she can sit around by herself. Deal with it."

Trowa took a moment to admire the sight of Duo in a suit. He cleaned up very, very well, Trowa decided. It was a navy suit with a thin pinstripe, and Trowa could see the hint of a lavender shirt at his neck.

"Anyway, I'm here now. Can we please get started?" Duo pulled off his suit jacket, revealing a matching vest and a very nice view of his ass in the fitted navy trousers.

"I would appreciate that," Trowa spoke up from the doorway.

Both brothers spun to face him, and Trowa experienced a moment of guilt at how pleased and relieved they both looked.

Duo grinned cockily and Trowa fought the urge to roll his eyes.

He watched as Duo loosened the dark purple tie at his throat.

"You've only been here five minutes and you can't look presentable," Heero grumbled loudly.

"I'm not stripping, calm down. But I'm not going to sit here and choke myself for the next eight hours." Duo threw himself into one of the leather armchairs in front of Heero's desk. "So, what's first up? A lecture about my duties? A minute-to-minute schedule? A daily checklist? A list of employees not to flirt with?" As he added the last he winked at Trowa.

Heero noticed.

"This is not a dating service," he growled.

Duo shrugged. "Fine, don't want to go poaching on your grounds anyway," he grinned.

Heero arched an eyebrow and Trowa sensed there was a complicated history involved in that statement.

"I want us to go over your responsibilities as CEO and then we can confirm the schedule for this week."

Duo rolled his eyes and folded his hands behind his head.

"I did attend a couple of business classes, once upon a time, I _do_ know what a CEO does."

Trowa sat down in the other armchair, angling it slightly so that he had even views of both brothers.

"What's he doing here anyway?" Duo asked, jerking his head in Trowa's direction.

Heero frowned.

"I've included him in my plans and my schedules, and he is an asset."

Duo rolled his eyes, and Trowa tried to, once again, decipher Heero's oblique manner of complimenting him.

"Yeah, well, if this is just going to be an hour of insulting me and us fighting, I'd rather keep it a family affair, s'all," Duo said.

"Trowa is well aware of your short-comings. And, since, once again, this isn't a dating service, it doesn't matter if you can impress him or not with your witty-comebacks. I'm sure that your ego will survive."

To avoid looking up, Trowa started leafing through the papers he had brought with him and pulled out the schedule that he and Heero had discussed earlier that morning.

"Sure. Fine." Duo sounded angry, but resigned.

It took considerably more than an hour to go through the duties Heero wanted Duo to fulfill and then to talk through the weekly schedule. Duo seemed to have an argument for nearly everything Heero suggested, and likewise, even when Duo's arguments were logical and beneficial, Heero stubbornly refused to give in or change his plans until, at last, Trowa intervened on several points.

By noon, he hated _both_ of them a little bit, and he desperately wanted a break.

"Lunch?" Duo asked, when Heero was mid-sentence.

Heero's jaw snapped shut and he glared at his brother.

"Of course. Nothing could be more important than keeping you well fed," he muttered angrily.

"Yeah, well, I think we could all use the break," Duo said in a much more reasonable tone of voice.

After a brief glaring match between them, Heero inclined his head.

Duo was out of his chair and pulling on his suit-coat in one smooth motion.

He looked at Trowa and smirked. "Want to split a cab somewhere?" He asked.

Trowa looked over at Heero and saw the slight frown on his face.

"Heero and I had plans," he said, which, strictly speaking wasn't true. Trowa had assumed that Heero would want to eat lunch with him today.

The shorter man's shoulders relaxed slightly, and his face cleared of some of his anger.

"Oh, okay. Cool. You two crazy kids have fun." Duo waved jauntily and walked out of the room.

"I hate Odin so much today," Heero muttered as he straightened the papers on his desk.

"It's only Monday," Trowa said, aware that it wasn't a very helpful comment.

Heero winced.

"Thanks for that," Heero muttered, but one corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smile.

As they left the building, Trowa was very conscious of the fact that Heero seemed to become more relaxed with each step he took _away_ from the office he practically lived in.

"Did you have any down time this weekend?" Trowa asked.

Heero shrugged. "I worked Saturday and Sunday, but I spent some time downstairs at the gym."

The gym at Yuy Inc.'s headquarters was legendary. Odin had been a health nut, as well as a workaholic, and so, sandwiched halfway up the massive Yuy Inc. tower on four floors was a state of the art fitness facility that all office employees had access to. Trowa had walked through it last week, when Sherisse had given him the grand tour, and he thought that it was a better facility than some countries had for their Olympic teams. Sherisse had also confided, on their meandering tour, that Heero spent at least an hour there every morning, sometimes his lunch, and often an hour or more after he sent his staff home for the day.

While by no means a fitness enthusiast, Trowa missed the three-times a week swims he had enjoyed while working for Quatre, and the size and breadth of the pool at Yuy Inc. had been a source of instant satisfaction. He had promised himself to make use of it soon.

"That's not exactly down-time. Especially when it's in the same building as your work."

Heero shrugged.

"Until things are settled, that's as close to down time as I'm going to get."

They arrived at their destination – the Italian place from last Thursday. Trowa assumed that Heero needed comfort food, because his companion ordered baked ziti.

"Duo seems very knowledgeable about the workings of the company," Trowa said, trying to find something positive to say about the man who appeared to be Heero's nemesis.

Heero snorted. "Duo's knowledgeable about everything. He's a genius – he's even more intelligent than I am – but he doesn't want to do this. So, he's going to punish me every step of the way. For an entire year."

Trowa frowned at the faint tone of despair in Heero's voice.

He had no idea how to mediate this conflict between the two men. It was strange, he might have thought that his attraction to Duo would prevent him from seeing Heero's perspective on matters, but the opposite was true. He supposed that he was trying so much to _not take_ Duo's side that he was entirely on Heero's side in this. And that, he knew, wasn't actually helpful to anyone. He needed to be able to work at this from both sides, and not just from the perspective that Duo was wrong. Even though it was clearly to different degrees, _both_ brothers were in the wrong.

"Perhaps HE views it as a punishment as well," Trowa suggested.

Heero frowned. "Undoubtedly. He never wanted to put on a suit again after he left the company."

"But he _did_ put it on," Trowa pointed out.

Heero sighed. "So did I."

Trowa wondered what exactly Heero meant by that statement, but he decided not to push it.

"Do you play tennis?" Heero asked suddenly.

"Yes," Trowa cautiously answered. Heero nodded thoughtfully.

"Wufei and I play on Tuesday's, at the gym. I will invite Duo and we will play doubles tomorrow."

The mental image of the four of them playing tennis was a combination of humor and horror, but Trowa nodded gamely and ate the his meal in silence.

* * *

The rest of the day went much like the morning had, although Trowa only lasted another hour after lunch before he fled, citing other work matters. Both brothers had looked uneasy as he made his escape, but Trowa literally could not take any more of their bickering. It had grown pointless, and, he was starting to think that he might be exacerbating the situation.

Duo had looked extremely unhappy when he came back from lunch and found Heero and Trowa at the partner desk, already reviewing the numerous bequests Odin had made in his will.. He had silently pulled up a chair and joined them, behaving for all of ten minutes before he started to point out several issues with minor bequests that Odin had made in his will. All of the items he pointed out were problematic, and he had good insight as to why Odin might have done what he did, and what problems it would cause. Heero, however, seemed to be in no mood to listen to Duo at all, and constantly steam-rolled over him.

Back in the safety and silence of his office, Trowa immersed himself in looking over property holdings, and ensuring that the many deed changes that needed to be made were underway. It took him the rest of the afternoon, but he finally had an update on every property that Odin had deeded to his wife or their two sons.

At six, he walked back to Heero's office and cautiously knocked. It was silent within, but that might have meant that the brothers had moved on to physical violence.

"Enter."

Heero was alone, his jacket and tie off, and his shirt rolled up to his elbows. His hair was in even more disarray than usual, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. Trowa swallowed hard and forced himself to NOT take note of just how attractive Heero looked.

"I've got updates on all of the properties," Trowa said.

"Good. Any issues?"

"None, a few questions, but I've been able to sort most of those out." As well as learn some very interesting facts.

Trowa had been curious about the fact that Duo seemed to have inherited so few properties. It had been partially explained by Duo himself, who claimed to have not even wanted anything except for the commercial real-estate in the Bronx. That real-estate turned out to be the location of the charter school that Duo worked at. The commercial spaces on Third Avenue were actually a series of galleries and studios that, Trowa surmised after his half hour conversation with the landlord, were little more than a glorified hippy commune. The Brooklyn brownstones, on the other hand, were noteworthy. It was an entire block of nineteenth-century brownstones in Park Slope, arguably one of the best and most elite neighborhoods in New York City. Sixteen five storey houses in one of the most desired neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It was incredibly odd to Trowa, because, with the exception of the properties that were obviously vacation homes, the Yuy family seemed to favor expensive, urban, and very modern condominiums and penthouse style apartments. The brownstones were the only true 'homes' that Odin had owned.

"Duo left an hour ago" Heero answered his unspoken question. "Had to pick up Nathalie from after-school or something."

Trowa nodded and made a mental note to call Duo and update him on Nathalie's legal status. In between his international phone calls to landlords and realtors, Trowa had managed to track down a social worker and a judge and had them grant Duo temporary custody of Nathalie for the next three weeks, the earliest day that a court date was available for an actual custody hearing.

"I'm going home," Heero said.

The statement shocked Trowa.

"I can't stay here any longer today. Duo has…exhausted me." Heero started to straighten himself out.

"Things were worse after I left?" He asked.

Heero shrugged. "Different. He wasn't trying to impress you anymore, so he didn't argue about everything." He sighed. "But you weren't there, so I didn't feel like listening to him at all. He's going to write up his arguments as reports and bring them in tomorrow morning."

Trowa was impressed that Duo cared enough to do that.

"That's…good."

"Yes. It's always easy for me to be objective about him if I'm not speaking to him."

"It might be prying, but can I ask what, exactly, makes it so hard for you two to get along?"

Heero smirked. "That is prying."

Trowa was about to apologize, but Heero continued.

"Would you like to get dinner? I find it's much easier to talk about my brother and not get angry if I'm distracted by wine, good food, and good company."

That sounded very dangerously like a date.

Something of his thoughts must have been obvious on his face.

"It would actually be a relief, to talk to you about it," Heero added.

Which, Trowa reflected, even as he nodded in agreement to the plan, didn't make it any less of a date.

They went to a Brazilian restaurant, cuisine that Trowa wasn't very familiar with, but thought smelled and looked amazing.

Heero ordered a bottle of red wine from the menu and then explained the food to Trowa.

"All of the meat is roasted and brought out to you on a skewer," he said.

After they had ordered their meals and finished a glass of wine each, Heero started to speak.

"Duo is adopted, which you might have figured out by now," or been told, while on a date, Trowa mentally filled in, "and… from the start we had an uneasy relationship. I wasn't the most…social of children, and I was threatened by his presence. He's very outgoing and charming and I'm not. Almost immediately it seemed as though my father liked him more than he liked me. So, I started to compete with him, for Odin's time and respect. I knew, on some level, that he loved me. Just as much as he loved Duo. But… Duo is a very easy person to spend time with. And Odin never had much time for us, so it was difficult to see Duo get so much of that time."

Heero paused and smirked slightly. "Mother, of course, always put me first. It was Odin's idea to adopt Duo in the first place – she hated it. She had only ever wanted the one child. She's not exactly… the nurturing type. So, after Duo, we were both foisted off onto nannies. If she could force herself to spend time with her children, it was with me. It wasn't until we were older, and Duo had come out, that she started to appreciate him more. I'm honestly not sure why. Anyway, by the time we started middle school, Duo and I were competing over everything – grades, sports, awards – whatever would make Odin notice one of us above the other. I was a year ahead of Duo in school, and I took every opportunity to use that to my advantage, reminding him of how young he was. How much more I knew and had done. It got worse when we were at the same high school. But, when I went off to college things were better, for a while. Until Duo had to go and fight with Odin about graduate school."

Their food arrived, and Heero took a break from his narration to eat a few bites.

"I just didn't understand why Odin was pushing Duo into business when he already had me there. I confronted Odin about it, and he told me that he needed Duo. Needed him. Nothing about me. Ever since then… it's been hard for me to talk to Duo much. It's not even his fault. He's just… Duo. And I'm not."

It was a very personal story, and not one that painted Heero in the best of light. Trowa was intrigued by what might have been left unsaid, and he wondered what the same story would be from Duo's perspective.

"So… that's it. The very boring story of why I can't stand my own brother." Heero shook his head. "That sounds terrible. I love him. I actually do. As much as I viewed him as a threat, he was also my only ally growing up. He still is, I suppose, which only makes things harder because he is so annoying sometimes."

Trowa smiled slightly at that, thinking about the fact that that part, at least, sounded just like he and Catherine.

By the time they had finished dinner and another bottle of wine, Trowa was feeling relaxed, and he noticed that much of the tension had left Heero's shoulders. He looked at ease with himself, and Trowa was grateful that for this glimpse of him.

"Why did you really stop working for Winner?" Heero asked suddenly.

Trowa's mind froze and he sorted out his well-crafted excuses, but, in light of the painful honesty that Heero had demonstrated, it felt wrong to not return the gesture.

"He announced his engagement to some Saudi princess."

Heero's face remained blank. Trowa sighed.

"And, as much as I resented the fact that our relationship was kept a secret from everyone, it was nothing compared to my resentment over the fact that I found out about the engagement at the engagement party. In front of five hundred people."

Heero blinked, his face still impassive, and Trowa wondered what he was thinking.

"You were involved with him."

"Yes. My sister thinks I have a dangerous habit of becoming – involved – with men that I work for." Trowa had definitely had too much wine. There was absolutely no reason he should have said that.

Heero smirked slightly. "Dangerous?"

"For my career. And for my sanity."

"You are an incredible lawyer." Trowa arched an eyebrow at this unfounded praise. "I've looked into your cases, spoken with Zechs Merquise, I even read your thesis. You have a great legal mind. It would be a shame for your… dangerous habit to sabotage your career."

Trowa wondered if that was a reprimand.

"Of course, I'm not sure I would complain if your habit was ongoing."

The look in Heero's eyes seared Trowa's skin and made his mind go completely blank. It took him far too long to figure out what to say or how to react.

"Or have you reformed your ways?" Heero asked, teasing him.

Trowa's mind was going into overdrive, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. At the same time, his body – and even part of his brain – was definitely warming up to what Heero seemed to be insinuating.

"I'm _trying_ to reform them," Trowa said at last.

"How is that going?"

"Failing miserably, apparently."

Heero chuckled. He rose from the table and left enough money to cover the meal and an exorbitant tip.

After draining his glass, Trowa rose from the table and followed Heero from the restaurant.

Once outside, Heero pulled Trowa out of the flow of people. He kept one hand on Trowa's shoulder and stepped closer to him.

"I enjoy your company, Trowa. But I did hire you to be my lawyer. If that is all you want to be, then I'll say goodnight, and thank you for a pleasant evening. If you would be interested in more," Heero shrugged, "I certainly wouldn't mind your company for the rest of the night as well."

Trowa arched an eyebrow at the smooth invitation. He forced his eyes away from Heero's lips, and then away from his face entirely when he noticed how amused Heero was by his continued silence.

"I am flattered by the offer. But, I'm not sure that it would be in either of our best interests."

Heero seemed to consider Trowa's statement for a moment.

"I respect your judgment. Although, I should point out, you didn't say no. Meaning you are _interested_ in the prospect of it becoming in our best interests."

" _Meaning_ that you're an incredibly hot guy and I've fantasized about ripping your suit off of you since I interviewed last week. But I really don't think it's a good idea."

Heero smirked and stepped closer to Trowa.

"It's nice to know I'm not the only one with fantasies," he said.

Just then someone bumped into Trowa from behind, shoving them together.

"Oh, I'm so sorry – I – Heero! How nice to see you!"

A short, dark haired woman smiled up at them. She was dressed in a skin tight, low cut black dress and her minimal makeup highlighted large, dark eyes that seemed to be laughing with a private joke.

"Hilde. It's nice to see you as well. Thank you for the lovely flowers at the funeral."

Some of the laughter left her eyes. "Of course. I know how much your father meant to you. And Duo. I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Heero repeated.

Hilde looked up at Trowa, smiled widely, and then winked at Heero.

"But I can see where I'm not wanted! Enjoy your date! He's hot!" She laughed, waved, and continued on her way.

Trowa arched an eyebrow at Heero as the man shook his head.

"Hilde Schiebeker. Duo's best friend."

Duo.

His wine fogged, lust-filled brain suddenly cleared.

"I should go," he said.

Heero looked at him for a long moment, his eyes intense, but then nodded.

"Thank you again for tonight. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I enjoyed in nonetheless."

Trowa watched as Heero started walking back towards Yuy Inc. headquarters, no doubt to chain himself down to a treadmill.

"You are suck a fuck up," he muttered to himself before he started walking to the nearest subway station.

* * *

Duo arrived at eight-thirty on Tuesday morning, grinning like a maniac, and barging into Trowa's office unannounced. He was carrying two cups of coffee, and Trowa instinctively backed away from his desk to be out of range from any spills.

His guest chuckled.

"Chill, I'm not going to attack you again. See, here." Duo put one cup down on the edge of Trowa's desk and sat down in the chair across from it. He took a sip from the cup still in his hand.

Cautiously, Trowa reached out and took the cup on his desk.

"Thank you," he said.

"No problem. Consider it a small token of my gratitude. I really, really appreciate you setting up the temporary custody for Nat. Course, means the munchkin will be running around tonight at dinner, but I'll put her to bed before I put US to bed." Duo winked and Trowa marveled at how easily the man went from sounding like a concerned guardian to a lecher.

"I met one of your friends last night," Trowa said. He had decided, after laying awake for far too long last night, that he should tell Duo about the dinner he and Heero had shared.

"Oh yeah?" Duo seemed a little cautious, as though the prospect of Trowa meeting his friends put him on edge.

"Hilde Schiebeker."

"Hil? No way, how?" He seemed considerably more relaxed now that he knew who it was.

"Heero and I went to dinner, and as we were leaving she bumped into us. Literally. You two seem to have that in common."

Duo looked thoughtful.

"You went to lunch _and_ dinner with Heero? Sounds serious. You two picking out engagement rings soon?" His voice sounded neutral.

Trowa gave him a hard look.

"I told _you_ that this was a bad idea."

"Yeah, you left out the part where you thought it would be too hard to juggle dating me _and_ my brother."

"I'm not dating your brother."

Duo arched an eyebrow.

"It's weird. When I first met you, I told myself that you were totally Heero's type. Seriously. Even when we went to dinner, I almost thought about introducing you to him instead of... He likes guys who are taller than him, loves guys who wear glasses, definitely has a thing for the quiet, stoic types. And of course, you're incredibly hot."

Trowa scowled.

"Duo –"

"Nah, it's cool. I'm just saying. Make sure _he_ knows you aren't dating him. Heero doesn't usually eat two meals a day, let alone two with the same person." Duo rose from the chair. "Anyway, I hear we've got a tennis match at ten with Wufei and Heero. Should be some nice competition." He grinned. "See ya."

Trowa looked at the now closed door of his office and debated walking out of it, and out of the building entirely. His life was _not_ going well.

* * *

Trowa was the last to arrive at the indoor tennis court, and he was actually relieved to see Wufei. The Chinese man was in an intense argument with Duo over, it seemed, who would be on who's team.

"…same height. We should be on the same team," Duo was saying.

Trowa approached the three men as they stood arguing by the net. He took in their clothing, not surprised that they were all dressed in immaculate and expensive tennis whites. Duo had a headband on, looking both ridiculous and strangely more attractive because of it.

"If your partner is of a different height than yourself, then there is more chance for an interesting competition," Wufei responded in an even tone.

Trowa ignored the appreciative glance Heero gave him as he joined them. He _tried_ to ignore it.

"I'm not playing with Heero on my team. End of story. I get Trowa or I get you." Duo crossed his hands over his chest.

Wufei rolled his eyes. "Then you get me." He spared Trowa a glare. "Have a good game." It came out sounding like a threat, and Trowa fought to keep his face neutral as he nodded back to him.

"I'll apologize in advance," Heero said as they walked over to their side of the court.

"For what?" Trowa asked. He had not seen Heero that morning, outside of greeting him when he first arrived, and he was not entirely uncomfortable with the idea of spending the next hour beside him as Duo lobbed tennis balls in their direction.

"Duo's pissed at me for something. This isn't going to be a fun game for you or Wufei."

Trowa didn't get the chance to ask what that meant, since Duo's opening serve nearly took Heero's head off. It quickly became apparent, as volley after volley was directed between the two, that the brother's were in a heated competition and had completely forgotten about their partners.

Trowa barely touched the ball, and felt like an idiot for crouching and holding his racket at the ready. He noticed that Wufei actually gave up any pretense of playing and had wandered off to the side of the court. Trowa eventually gave up and joined him.

"This is why I won't play doubles with them unless they are on the same team," Wufei growled.

Trowa was surprised that the man would initiate a conversation with him.

"So this isn't just because Duo is pissed off at Heero?"

Wufei snorted. "No. Well, I'm sure that's why he wouldn't play with him. But they are _always_ like this." He passed Trowa a bottle of water. "Here, rehydrate. I'm sure you're thirsty after such a tough match."

Trowa chuckled in appreciation of the joke.

"I want to explain my behavior last week," Wufei said after a silent moment while they watched Duo and Heero battling, completely oblivious to the fact that they were partner-less.

"I do not trust people easily, and Heero is my oldest friend. I worried that he made a rash decision in hiring you, but it seems that I was the rash one. You have worked efficiently to sort through Odin's will, and I am aware that you have been a considerable asset to Heero over these last few days. Thank you."

Trowa wondered if he should be annoyed that Wufei felt the need to check over his work, or just accept that it seemed to be in his nature to.

"Thank you," he said at last in a neutral tone.

Wufei inclined his head, as if granting a royal pardon.

At last, the game wound to a close, with Heero narrowly beating Duo.

They both left the court, walking in opposite directions, without a word to Trowa or Wufei.

"Care for a game?" Wufei asked casually once they were alone.

Trowa contemplated going back to work, but then he shrugged and joined the Chinese man on the court.

Their game was nowhere near as intense as the previous one had been. Wufei was obviously a skilled tennis player, and Trowa had to push himself to his best in order to keep the game close. Wufei won, and he smirked broadly as they retired from the court.

"I think that you would be a worthy partner. Next time, we will force Duo and Heero to play together and I think we will have a chance of defeating them." Wufei spoke as though outlining battle plans.

"Assuming they haven't killed each other before next Tuesday," Trowa muttered in response.

Wufei inclined his head.

"Yes. Well, try to keep them both alive. Thank you for the game." He saluted Trowa with his racket and went towards the Sauna. Trowa went in the opposite direction, to the showers and locker room. After scrubbing himself clean and drying off, he dressed back in his suit and went back to his office.

There was a note on his desk from Duo.

_Sorry I'm a jerk. See you tonight. Bring a change of clothes._

At least, Trowa hoped it was from Duo. It wasn't signed, and he wasn't familiar enough with Duo or Heero's handwriting to know which man had penned it.

As usual, Trowa checked in with Heero before he left for the day. He was unsurprised to find his boss buried in paperwork.

"I'm off for the day," Trowa said, interrupting him from a glaring match with what appeared to be financial statements.

Heero looked up at him and smirked slightly.

"Leaving me alone?"

Trowa shrugged.

"Do you have plans for Friday night?" Heero asked.

"No, I can work late if you need me to."

"How would you like to see the Yankees-Red Sox game with me?"

"I would hate to ruin our relationship over an argument about the Yankees being crushed by a superior team," Trowa answered after a long pause.

Heero chuckled.

"In the unlikely event of that happening, I swear not to fire you over it. Well?"

Trowa hesitated, trying to think of what he could say.

"I'm involved with someone."

Heero frowned slightly.

"As of today?"

"It seems that way. It's not… I have no idea WHAT it is. But, it's something."

"Hn. In that case, would you like to go to the game with me?"

It was Trowa's turn to frown.

"As I said last night, I enjoy your company. It would be a nice way to spend my down time."

After a moment, Trowa nodded.

"Then I accept. Although you should be warned, I only wear red and white when I go to baseball games."

Heero chuckled. "I will risk dismemberment and still sit beside you. Have a good night."

Trowa smiled back at him and left. He had just enough time to go home, change into jeans and a sweater, and grab the recommended change of clothing.

* * *

He arrived at Duo's home, one of the recently inherited brownstones, just before seven.

When he knocked, the door was opened by a composed, elderly woman.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Is this Duo Maxwell's house?"

She smiled.

"You must be the source of all of my trouble," she said, and ushered him in.

"I'm sorry?" He asked in confusion.

She took his briefcase and the garment bag he had packed a suit in.

"You are the reason why he is making a mess in _my_ kitchen." She shook her head as she walked up the stairs. He followed her, wondering who she was, and feeling awkward about the fact that an old woman was carrying his things.

"Your guest is here," she called out when they reached the next floor.

"Thank you Sara!" Came an answering shout from down a hall.

Trowa took a moment to admire his surroundings. The outside of the brownstone had been intriguing. He had always admired the architectural personality of old homes, and this one appeared to be full of personality. The interior looked as though it had been restored, in great detail, with period molding, glowing hardwood floors, and rich, jewel tone painted walls.

"He is down there, in my kitchen," Sara instructed him with a gesture of her hand. "You may go to him. Be careful."

Trowa watched as she continued up the next flight of stairs, and then he cautiously made his way towards the kitchen.

"Hey! You look great!" Duo greeted him when he walked in.

Trowa took in the disaster area with an arched eyebrow and decided to remain as close to the door as possible, for safety's sake. The kitchen was enormous, and definitely renovated. The range was industrial grade, and the large island in the middle of the room was covered with, it seemed, an entire deli's worth of groceries.

He noticed that Nathalie was seated at a tall bar table off to the side and joined her.

"What is he making?" He asked the girl.

"Who the hell knows. He's been cooking for two hours." She grumbled.

He was pleased to see that her face, which he had noticed was badly bruised on Sunday, seemed to be healing very nicely.

"Does he know what he's doing?"

" _He_ can hear you two!" Duo said loudly. "And chill out. Give me ten minutes and you will be _thanking_ me."

"Sure. Like when you said I'd thank you for making me learn multiplication instead of just using a calculator?"

Duo turned to briefly glare at Nathalie.

"You _will_ thank me for that one day. When the nuclear holocaust happens and all electronics are knocked out, you alone will be able to still do multiplication and long division. Anyway, whaddya think of Ms. Brown?"

Nathalie shrugged. "She's not as goofy as you, but she seems okay."

"Good. I'm counting on you to keep her out of trouble, k?"

"Whatever," Nathalie responded, but Trowa saw that the corners of her mouth were tilted upwards.

Trowa sat and listened to them argue for the next ten minutes, interrupted only when Sara walked in, exclaimed over the state of her kitchen, and then walked back out to set the table.

He enjoyed the domesticity of those minutes. It reminded him a bit of being at home with his sister. Although he had never really appreciated the way his sister looked in an apron like he appreciated the way that Duo looked in an apron. Trowa wasn't sure how he managed to make it look sexy, but he did.

"Alright, lazy bums, dinner is ready. Go sit down." Duo gestured them out of the kitchen, and Trowa followed Nathalie into a formal dining room.

He sat down across from her and instantly felt her dark gaze turn serious.

"You like Duo?" She asked.

"Yes?"

She seemed to study him a for a moment.

"Cool. He likes you too. He's been _super_ gross about it. He couldn't decide what to wear. And he told me I had to be nice to you. _And_ – "

"And enough spilling my secrets. Jeez, Nat." Duo had entered, balancing three plates on his arms, and carefully sat them down in front of each of them and then at the empty seat at the head of the table.

"What? Is it a secret that you like him?" She asked innocently.

Duo glared at her, and Trowa chuckled.

He looked down at the plate in front of him and was taken aback.

"You said you liked Paris, so I thought there was a good chance you liked French food, so, ah…" Duo was nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Is this poulet farci?" Trowa asked as he took a deep breath of the mouthwatering aromas coming up from his plate.

Duo grinned broadly.

"Yeah – ah – is that okay?"

"It smells amazing. I haven't had it in years." Trowa took a bite and had to close his eyes as he savored the taste. "This is unbelievable. I'm moving in."

Duo chuckled and Nathalie gagged.

"What's in this anyway?" She demanded as she poked at her plate.

"Deliciousness," Duo assured her.

She sighed, looking resigned, and took a bite. She chewed it thoroughly, paused a moment, and then shrugged.

Trowa watched in amusement as she meticulously proceeded to clean her plate. He noticed that Duo looked happier at that than he had at Trowa complimenting his cooking.

After they finished, Duo leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach.

"Man I'm full. You all are probably too stuffed for dessert, huh?"

"No!" Nathalie insisted loudly.

Duo grinned.

"Then I'll be right back." He rose, gathered their used plates, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

He came back a moment later with three glasses of chocolate mousse.

"I didn't make this, sorry," he said at Trowa's questioning look.

"Too bad," Trowa said, but he accepted the glass from Duo.

Nathalie quickly demolished hers and then begged to be excused.

"Right. Bedtime in an hour," Duo told her.

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes sir. Night." She made her escape, leaving the two of them alone.

Trowa watched as Duo ate his mousse, much slower than Nathalie had. He seemed to be licking his spoon clean with each bite, and it was incredibly erotic, his pink tongue darting out to capture a last dab of the mousse on the spoon before filling it with more. Trowa's eyes narrowed as he realized that Duo had _not_ been eating his mousse that way when Nathalie was in the room.

"Enjoying it?" He asked in amusement.

"Mmhmm. Want a taste?"

Trowa smirked.

"I've got my own." He held up his glass.

"Yeah, but mine's different. Here." Duo scooped some mousse onto his spoon and held it out to Trowa. Rolling his eyes, Trowa leaned over and accepted the bite.

As he pulled away, Duo's other hand reached out and caught his shoulder.

"Wait, you've got a little right – here, let me get it." Duo leaned forward and licked Trowa's upper lip.

The sensation, coupled with the taste of the mousse, made Trowa groan. He wrapped one hand around Duo's neck and pulled the man closer. He explored Duo's mouth with his tongue and then gently bit Duo's lower lip.

He smirked when Duo moaned and opened his mouth. Trowa eagerly explored, tasting Duo and chocolate.

"Christ, Tro, you kiss by the book," Duo said when they broke apart a few moments later.

He arched an eyebrow.

"Are you quoting Shakespeare to me?" He asked with a grin.

"Good looking _and_ smart. You're a keeper," Duo said. He stood up from the table, not even self-conscious about the erection straining at the front of his pants. He chuckled when Trowa's gaze drifted down to admire the bulge.

"My eyes are up here, Tro," he said.

Trowa shrugged. "Doesn't mean that I don't like looking at other parts of you." He slowly let his gaze rake upwards and catch Duo's eyes again.

"Fuck you're hot," Duo said. "Uh, let's turn the sex down a few notches, though, and let me get these dishes sorted. As part of our negotiations, Sara made me promise to clean up after myself.'

"I'll help," Trowa said, and collected some of the silverware and glasses from the table while Duo gathered the rest.

They spent the next forty minutes cleaning the dishes and restoring the kitchen to a semblance of order, and mostly managed to keep their hands to themselves. It was only when Trowa was rinsing the last of the mousse glasses that Duo walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, his hands coming to rest low on each of Trowa's hips.

"There is something incredibly sexy about you washing dishes in my kitchen," Duo said, his lips pressed against the side of Trowa's neck.

"There's something incredibly uncomfortable about washing dishes in your kitchen with a soaked sweater on," he said. Duo had, not surprisingly, managed to spray him with the nozzle in the sink before Trowa demanded they switch and Duo dry while he rinsed.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Here, let's get that off of you." Duo's fingers splayed wide and traveled upwards, brushing over Trowa's groin, and then going higher, pulling up Trowa's sweater and the shirt he wore under it as they went.

Duo stepped backwards and Trowa raised his arms to help him pull the clothes free. He also took the opportunity to set the mousse glass on the drying rack. He turned around and smirked at the predatory look in Duo's eyes.

"Mhm. Yeah. I'll go ahead and apologize for this now, but I'm definitely going to take any chance I get to make sure that you take off your shirt." Duo stepped closer and forced Trowa backwards against the sink. "You are incredibly hot," Duo said. He leaned forward and licked his way down Trowa's neck to his collarbone and then bit into the flesh none too gently.

Trowa hissed at the intense pleasure and pain of the gesture. He could feel Duo's lips forming into a smirk against his skin.

"Sorry, guess I'm still a little hungry," Duo murmured as he licked his way down to Trowa's nipples. He closed his lips around one, sucking slightly and then biting down. "And you're really tasty."

Duo turned his attention to the other side and repeated his actions. As he started to kiss his way lower, Trowa caught his braid and forced his head upwards and pressed his lips against Duo's.

It wasn't long before he had Duo moaning and clutching at his ass as he backed the other man into the island and started to undo his belt.

"Hang on," Duo said and broke away from their contact. "We should probably head to my room before we get too x-rated here."

Trowa arched an eyebrow. "So I have to parade around your house without half of my clothes but you get to stay fully dressed."

Duo shrugged and grinned.

"Sorry. My house. My rules."

Trowa picked up his discarded shirts but didn't bother to put them back on. He followed Duo out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Duo pointed towards a door on the right.

"That's my room. I just want to look in on Nat, and then I'll be right there." He grinned and looked over Trowa's chest again. "And, ah, another rule you should know about. Absolutely no clothes allowed in my bed." He winked and then walked down the hall.

Trowa rolled his eyes, but went into Duo's bedroom. He looked around, impressed by the taste full, mahogany bedroom suite. He noticed a short hallway and followed it towards a bathroom with an impressive shower and a stand alone, claw-footed porcelain tub. He looked in the vanity under the sink and found condoms and lubricant. He took them out and made his way back to the bedroom, looking into a closet that appeared larger than his apartment. He noticed his briefcase and garment pack sitting on the floor underneath his suit, which had been taken out and hung up.

Once back in the bedroom, he put his pilfered supplies on one of the nightstand tables and proceeded to remove the rest of his clothes, ever mindful of being a good house guest and following rules.

It was a few minutes later when the door opened and Duo poked his head in. He took in Trowa's naked form lounging on the bed, reading a Sports Illustrated he had found, and laughed.

"Now this is definitely one of my favorite fantasies," he said and closed the door. He started to shuck out of his own clothes, going for speed over finesse, and Trowa smirked as Duo threw a shoe over his shoulder in the general direction of his closet.

Duo jumped up onto the bed, his semi-erect penis bouncing with the movement and catching Trowa's eye again.

"Man, you love to check out my cock, don't you?" Duo asked with a grin. "Here, let me show you a better angle." He rose up on his knees and used one hand to stroke himself fully erect while he undid his long braid of hair with the other.

The sight of Duo, his long hair loose around his shoulders and his hand working his own throbbing flesh, was enough to make Trowa lose any reservations he may have been once harbored about getting involved with the man. He _had_ to have him.

He pounced onto Duo, sending the other man falling onto his back with a laugh.

"I think I know an even better angle," he said just before he licked Duo's impressive length.

The other man shuddered below him.

"Yeah, I think you do," Duo said and then groaned loudly when Trowa took his entire length into his mouth. "Jesus Christ, Trowa." Duo's hips arched upwards, and Trowa had to grip him tightly to avoid being choked. He worked his mouth up and down Duo's length several more times, alternating swirling his tongue and running his teeth along the shaft.

"Fuck. Enough of that. My turn." Duo flipped their positions, brushing their erections together in the process. They both groaned at the friction and Duo, sidetracked from his original objective, ground his hips against Trowa's for a few minutes. "Fucking hell your body was made to be fucked."

It was intensely pleasurable, the contact and the words.

"You can have your turn later," Trowa ground out. "But I'm going to come if you put your filthy mouth on my cock right now."

" _My_ filthy mouth?" Duo demanded with a groan as he pushed his cock against Trowa's. "You keep talking like that and I'm going to come right now."

Trowa smirked.

"Um, which, do you – Christ. That should have been a conversation before this point." Duo said, stopping halfway towards reaching for the lubricant and condoms that Trowa had laid out.

"I have every intention of fucking you until you can't stand up straight," Trowa assured Duo, who closed his eyes as Trowa enunciated his words with upward thrusts of his hips, "but I can wait my turn."

"Good, because I'm greedy, and I've wanted to fuck your amazing ass since I first saw you."

Duo guided Trowa up to kneel in front of him and face the headboard. He spread his hands out and pushed them to the edge of the wood, so they gripped the frame.

Duo then spread Trowa's legs and coated the fingers of his right hand with lubricant. He teased one around Trowa's anus, smoothing the cool lotion onto his flesh and gently working his way into the tight ring of muscle. He busied his left hand stroking Trowa's erection, his grip almost painfully tight as he seemed to draw his skin out to its full extension with each stroke.

Trowa was barely aware of Duo slipping in a second, and then third finger as he worked his erection. If nothing else – and there was plenty else – Duo knew exactly how to grip Trowa and keep him at the brink of orgasm.

Both hands were withdrawn a moment later, and Trowa groaned his disappointment.

Duo chuckled as he tore open a condom wrapper and prepared himself.

"Guess I'm not the only greedy one. Don't worry. I'm gonna fill you up real soon. And I'm going to love the way you sound as you come all over us," Duo said, his words a low growl against Trowa's neck.

He bit into Trowa's neck at the same moment that he thrust inside of him and Trowa couldn't help the low moan that escaped him.

"Feel good?" Duo asked as he pulled out and then drove back inside, filling Trowa completely.

One hand gripped Trowa's right hip, hard enough that he was confident there would be bruises, and the other latched back onto Trowa's erection and pumped him with the same rhythm that he thrust into him from behind.

"Fuck yes," Trowa said, gripping the headboard so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Good. God you feel amazing wrapped around my cock. Your ass is so fucking tight and hot."

Trowa usually had more stamina than this, but between the pressure of Duo on his prostate, the steely grip on his own erection, and the words spilling out of Duo's mouth, he was close to orgasm after only a few thrusts.

"Duo –"

"Yeah Tro? You gonna come for me? Gonna explode like I am, right fucking – now!"

Trowa didn't know if it was the command in Duo's voice, the clench of the hand on his erection, or the sharp, deep thrust of Duo inside of him, but he did come at the same moment that he felt Duo spilling inside of him.

"Oh God," Duo collapsed against his back, pushing both of them against the headboard.

Trowa could feel Duo's heart pounding against his back, and he willed his own to calm down.

"That was fucking incredible," Duo said and kissed the back of Trowa's neck, his tongue tracing the slight indention his teeth had made a few minutes earlier.

Duo pulled out and Trowa groaned at the loss of contact.

"Let me grab a towel, be right back." The bed shifted as Duo rolled over and bounded onto the floor. Trowa heard water running, and then a moment later, Duo was back with a slightly damp, warm towel. He was wiping himself clean and smirking at the sight of Trowa, still naked, still leaning on the headboard.

"Fuck it. I'm just going to tie you down and keep you here." Duo said as he got back into the bed and wiped up the evidence of their sex.

He tossed the towel to the side of the bed and threw himself down onto on his side. Trowa stretched out beside him.

"I'm serious, though. That was fucking intense." Duo said.

Trowa smirked. "It was," he agreed. "I might need a break before it's my turn."

"Thank god. I'm not as young as I used to be."

Trowa rolled over onto his side and ran his hands through the slightly sweaty spread of Duo's hair on the pillow.

"Why do you wear it so long?" He asked.

Duo smirked. "Cuz I look fucking hot with it long," he said.

"I'm a bit concerned over your lack of self-confidence and non-existent ego," Trowa confided.

Duo chuckled. "I dunno, really. I guess… I dunno. Just never wanted to cut it. It's been trimmed, because split ends are gross, but… I just like it long. It makes me different. It's mine, you know?"

Trowa didn't know, not quite, but he accepted the rationale.

"You really like Nathalie," he said to change the subject.

"She's incredible. Resilient, smart, mouth like a sailor."

"Remind you of yourself?" Trowa asked.

Duo frowned as he considered the question. "Yeah, I guess she does. I lot, now that you mention it." Duo shuddered. "I didn't know my family, from before. I was dumped at a church when I was three, so… that was my earliest memory. Some nun and a bunch of candles. But, yeah, I think there's a chance that if my folks hadn't ditched me, I might have to deal with the same shit that Nathalie does. She deserves a chance at a better life. They all do."

The mood had turned serious, and while Trowa had no issue with that, Duo was starting to look depressed. He gave a sharp tug on the strand of hair wrapped around his fingers.

"Speaking of chances. I think it's my turn now."

Duo grinned.

"Well, I'm all about fairness." He said

Trowa used the grip he had on Duo's hair to pull the other man's face closer, careful not to tug too hard. He captured Duo's lips with his own.

"I never said anything about being fair," he pointed out.

* * *

Next up: An unexpected guest…

* * *

**Chapter 7: Chapter 7**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: I try to respond to my reviews, but I want to just say: thank you everyone who has reviewed this, and thank you folks who have put this on your alert list, and your favorite list. And thank you also all 500+ visitors who have given this story a look! I hope that you all continue to enjoy it and I really, really appreciate you taking the time to read it!

A/N #3: I'm sorry this took so much longer than my other updates. I really, really don't like writing Treize. But I needed to cover some ground, reveal some things, and make mysteries out of other things… so he was what I needed. I don't think we will be seeing too many chapters from his POV, though.

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter VII**

Treize Khushrenada was a collector. He appreciated things of complex, dangerous beauty, and he coveted such objects. His art collection was perhaps the most formidable of any private collector in the world; his collections of medieval and Asian weaponry were surpassed by none and he frequently loaned out items to the MET and even the L'ouvre.

With his family's ancient name and equally ancient wealth, Treize could buy very nearly anything he wanted, at any price. His career as an investment banker was merely to pass the time between his acquisitions and the endless social events his position forced him to attend. His lifestyle allowed him to travel the world and to look for rare and exotic artifacts to add to his collection.

His zeal for collecting surpassed man-made objects, however, and extended to the men themselves. Since his youth, Treize had found few men – and even fewer women – to be worthy of his time and attention. Every once in a while someone would catch his interest, but it wasn't only beauty that drew him. He wanted that sharp edge of danger, the conflict and his own, inevitable, conquest of another human being who had once been confident that HE had no equal. Those were Treize's most prized possessions – the looks in the eyes of the men he had conquered.

Once upon a time, he had been on his way to adding Heero Yuy to his collection. Had, in fact, been so close as to already begin the process of looking for a new conquest. But his plans had been ruined, all of his careful work, his years of research and positioning – ruined over night. He had lost Heero, and he had spent the subsequent two years plotting a new strategy.

Of all the men he had bested, only Heero Yuy had slipped away. And of all the men that Treize had collected, Heero Yuy was undeniably the most attractive. His wealth and position in society had given him a confidence that surpassed arrogance, and had blinded him to the danger of becoming involved with a man like Treize. If only other members of the Yuy family had been similarly blind, Treize would be sitting on a fortune twice the size of his current inheritance and he would, no doubt, have Heero trailing along behind him, an obedient and conquered pet.

It seemed that fortune had smiled upon Treize again, however, when he received the phone call from Thomas Darlian detailing Odin Lowe Yuy's will. Treize had laughed aloud when Darlian announced that HE had a chance to inherit control of the vast empire. The sort of job was hardly one he wanted, but he was interested in the challenge it presented. The door that Odin had left open for him to creep back in through. His second chance to conquer Heero Yuy. It was an opportunity he could not deny himself.

His legion of assistants had spent a week compiling all of the information they could on Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Wufei Chang, and the new threat, Trowa Barton. When Darlian had called Treize, he had devoted much of his opening tirade to how troublesome Barton was, and how Heero already seemed to trust and depend on him and was ignoring Darlian's own counsel.

Treize appreciated the opportunity for a greater challenge, and he set about learning everything he could about Trowa Barton.

The other plays – Yuy, Chang, and Maxwell – he was familiar with from years past; nonetheless, he had his assistants compile up-to-date dossiers on them as well, and as he poured over the information they provided him, a plan began to formulate.

Treize knew that Heero appreciated and trusted Wufei Chang almost as much as he mistrusted and despised his own brother, Duo Maxwell. It had been a curious move, for Odin to appoint Duo as CEO, but, from a business standpoint, Treize had to agree with Odin's reasoning. As much as Duo himself might disagree, he had the right mindset and the perfect instincts to chair a company like Yuy Inc. However, his relationship with Heero meant that the partnership was doomed to fail, unless extraordinary restraint had been learned by both brothers in the years since Treize had seen them. Trowa Barton was still very much a wild card. While Treize now knew more about the man than his own family likely did, Treize was still unsure just how much Heero trusted him, and what role he would play in the great game that Treize was about to embark on.

The fact that Heero was alienating Darlian and turning to this new source for advice was telling. But then, Heero had always been too quick to trust – especially when confronted with a handsome, intelligent man who seemed to appreciate and share his sense of honor. It was the tactic that Treize had first used to beguile Heero, and he had no doubt that Trowa Barton – whether the attitude was manufactured or genuine – had done the same.

So, conquering Barton would be an essential part of Treize's strategy. He would also need to drive a wedge between Heero and Duo – not difficult, considering the past those two shared – and he would need to utterly destroy Duo's ability and confidence to function as the CEO of Yuy Inc. But the first step, and the one he would enjoy perhaps the most, was to bring Wufei Chang to his knees.

Treize was well aware of his own sense of entitlement – after all, he _was_ Treize Khushrenada – and whenever he encountered men with similar self-assurance, he typically laughed in their faces or set about the process of proving to them just how weak they truly were. Wufei Chang, however, was perhaps one of the most arrogant and entitled men Treize had ever met. And his confidence in himself was unshakable. His sense of honor and duty stronger than his need to breath oxygen.

He had hated Treize on sight, when they had first met six years ago, and his loathing had only seemed to increase upon each meeting. At first, it had amused Treize. However, as his plans to conquer Heero Yuy had progressed, and Wufei had become more of an obstacle, his amusement had waned. He had tried his usual attacks, focusing on Wufei's private life. Even after Wufei's marriage had ended in divorce, with considerable help from Treize, and his daughter taken away from him, the man was still intolerably full of himself.

Treize had thought over that for the last two years, and realized that while family was certainly important to the Chinese man, it was his ancestors that meant the most to him.

So, this time around, Treize was going to strike out quickly and destroy Chang International.

* * *

By Thursday morning, Treize was the majority shareholder in the public stock of Chang International. He spread the word to his peers in the investment world that Chang International was about to be indicted by the United States government for fraud, and his network had convinced almost all of Chang International share holders to dump their stock. By Thursday afternoon, he flooded the market with his own shares and practically bankrupted the company in the span of four hours.

On Friday morning, after Chang International stocks were being traded at their lowest worth since the company's inception, Treize bought out the company and promptly fired Henry Chang and had his lawyers file suit against the man for fraud and corruption. By five that evening, Henry Chang had been admitted to Mount Sinai after showing signs of a heart attack.

In the span of two days, Treize had completely transformed the world that Wufei Chang lived in. No longer was he the heir apparent to one of the most successful international organizations in the world; no longer was he the son of a proud and singularly honorable man. Now, he was out of work, and ministering to an ailing man who would very shortly be notified of the changes being brought against him. Wufei Chang's world had been destroyed.

Treize wanted to savor the downfall of the proud man, and so he delayed a confrontation with the man until the following week – although he sent a luridly ostentatious bouquet and signed card to Henry's hospital room.

He decided that he needed to meet Trowa Barton in person, and, according to Darlian, Heero was taking his new lawyer to a baseball game just that evening.

Baseball had never appealed to Treize. It lacked the finesse of football and the violence of rugby. Without those two key elements, he found the American pass-time unspeakably boring. However, he knew that Heero worshipped the game and would be completely off-guard if Treize approached him at Yankee Stadium.

He arrived late in the game – the fifth inning was just ending – and he paced the air conditioned confines of the luxury box he had reserved until the seventh inning stretch. At that break in the game, he made his way down to the seats behind the Yankee dugout that had been Odin's favorite place to watch his beloved Yankees. He knew that Odin had also purchased a luxury box, and several other seats in the stadium to woo clients with, but those seats behind the dugout had been the ones that Odin and Heero shared – the exact same seats Odin had held at the old Stadium – ever since Odin had first taken Heero to a baseball game at the tender age of three.

When he approached, he noticed that Heero was alone. Treize scowled, hoping that he had not wasted this trip by having Barton stand him up.

Treize stood in the aisle a moment and admired the man he had long coveted. Heero was like a dangerous animal, all coiled muscle and calculating gaze, and Treize appreciated that even more than he appreciated Heero's unusually exotic features.

"Heero, what a surprise to see you here," Treize after a moment more.

He had the satisfaction of seeing Heero jerk upright at the sound of his voice. The other man turned to him, his face devoid of the emotion that Treize knew had to be pounding in his veins.

"Less of a surprise than seeing _you_ here. I didn't think you enjoying the pedantic pass-times of us colonists," Heero sneered.

Treize laughed, that reserved, urbane chuckle that made Heero's hair stand on end.

"I was persuaded to attend the game by an associate, who promised that I find something worthwhile in the excursion." Treize raked his cold gaze over Heero. "And lo and behold, he was right."

Heero's fists clenched involuntarily. Treize watched in amusement as he forced himself to relax.

"I wanted to offer my condolences on your father's passing," Treize said, his voice nowhere near the level of sincerity that it should have been.

"Hn."

"I had a curious call, a few days ago, from an…acquaintance of mine. It seems that Odin's will was highly irregular, and that he had left quite the mess for you to clean up." Treize's eyes danced with laughter. "Anything I can do to help?"

"No, _thank_ you. I can handle it."

"I'm certain you can," Treize murmured, allowing himself to smirk.

It was at that moment that Trowa Barton arrived, hands clutching two large cups of beer, and a curious, slightly wary expression on his face. He stopped on the step above Treize and looked him over with the same intensity that Treize observed the man with. He was impressed by Barton – he was even more handsome in person than in the photos Treize had looked at. His green gaze was piercing, even mesmerizing, and held no small amount of irritation.

Perhaps this was going to be even more fun that Treize had originally thought.

Heero reached around Treize and took one of the cups from Barton.

"Thanks," he said. He didn't bother to introduce the two men. Treize waited for Barton to introduce himself, but the other man remained silent.

"I don't believe we've met," Treize said, turning to Barton. "Treize Khushrenada." He held out one hand.

"Trowa Barton." Barton reluctantly gave him his free hand. Their touch was quick and firm, and Treize appreciated that. He despised those who tried to prove something with a handshake.

"Pleasure. I see that you don't share Heero's passion for the Yankees," Treize said, looking over Trowa with an appreciative gleam in his eye, admiring the way the fitted Red Sox shirt clung to his upper chest.

"No," Trowa agreed. "But I do share his passion for the game. Which is starting again." He nodded to the field behind them. "And we seem to be blocking other people's views. Perhaps we should all return to our seats?"

Treize's eyes froze. He hadn't expected someone as lowly as Barton to dare infringe on his game. At most, Barton was supposed to be an intriguing knight, but certainly no threat to Treize's ultimate plans. The fact that he was casually insulting him changed things.

"Modern convenience never ceases to amaze me," Treize said, ignoring Trowa's suggestion and instead leaning casually against the center railing in the aisle. "fifty-thousand people crammed into this coliseum, each with different seats and different views. And yet, any one of them can look up into center field and view the game on a two hundred foot digital screen. Even if someone happens to be blocking their view of the game."

Barton's eyes narrowed and Heero actually winced.

"Was there something you wanted to discuss that is of such vital importance that it can't wait until after the game? Or perhaps a meeting we can schedule for next week?" Trowa asked, his voice calm and icy.

Treize smiled over Trowa's head at Heero.

"Is this your secretary? I applaud your taste! I wouldn't mind the chance to stare at him every day as well. Do you keep him late? Just to watch him file paperwork and clean your desk?"

A muscle in Trowa's jaw jumped as he ground his teeth together.

"He's my lawyer, actually. And a friend. And we _were_ attempting to enjoy an evening away from the trivial annoyances of work." Heero arched an eyebrow. "Since that doesn't seem possible, what _is_ it that you want?"

Treize shrugged.

"I merely heard that Yuy Inc. was looking to expand into certain areas of development and I wanted to suggest a few corporations you might be interested in partnering with."

"Then, perhaps, as Trowa suggested, we should meet next week."

"Perhaps. I'm not sure these particular opportunities will still be available after the weekend. Things change so rapidly in our world. Just look at Chang – poor man's company was completely destroyed in the span of two days and now he will likely go to prison. If he doesn't die first." Treize shrugged, as though the matter bored him.

" I'll have my secretary call yours? Or him?" Treize asked, with a smirk at Trowa. "Or would you like to call her? I can give you her number. It's actually convenient to bring an assistant along to social functions, Yuy, I applaud your idea. An excellent way to provide oneself with amusement and companionship. I wouldn't go so far as to call someone I pay a _friend_ , not when we have so little in common. Still, I'll have to bring mine next time."

Trowa had clearly had enough and pushed past Treize to get to his seat. In the process, he bumped into the taller man and spilled most of his beer on his expensive suit.

"So sorry," Trowa muttered and sat down, promptly ignoring everything except for the baseball diamond in front of him, which he glared at with fierce intensity.

Heero shrugged.

"Probably want to try and dab some of that out before it dries," he recommended to Treize before he too sat down.

Treize glared at them and then stalked off, leaving them to find what little enjoyment they could from the game.

Even though he was irritated at the damage to his suit, it did not compare to his anger over how much Trowa Barton's mere existence was going to wreck his plans.

Not only was Barton entirely too confident and combative, but it was clear that Heero already trusted and respected the man. Not only as a work colleague, but as a _friend_. Treize couldn't decide whether or not the two were involved – it was obvious from Heero's gaze that he was attracted to the man, but Barton had been a mystery.

Treize wracked his brain, recalling the information he had gathered on Barton's previous relationships. Quatre Winner was beyond Treize's manipulation, even though his presence would certainly have benefited Treize's plan to separate Heero from Barton. So, instead, Treize would have to rely on Zechs Merquise to distract the young lawyer. Perhaps he would provide him with an interesting legal obstacle as well.

Smirking to himself as he left the stadium, Treize started to recalculate his plans.

He had learned, over the years, that leverage was the key to manipulating every situation. So long as he had the greatest leverage, he could control everyone around him.

Treize already knew the leverage to use on Heero, he hoped he had discovered the correct leverage to control Wufei, and Duo would be easy enough to control. After all, the man WANTED to be controlled, unlike the others. It was only Barton that he had to figure out.

Most of his plans were put on hold for the weekend, and he amused himself with his other pursuits: gardening and horseback riding. After two days of such relaxing activities, Treize was ready to throw himself back into the elaborate game he had created. And he was ready to win. He had already lost once with Heero Yuy, and he wasn't about to let it happen a second time.

* * *

On Monday morning he had his favorite lawyer contact the city judge who had granted Duo Maxwell temporary custody of the street urchin he had adopted and the man was convinced to move the court date to that week, on Thursday. His lawyer next tracked down the junkie mother of the girl and dumped her in a rehab center, had her apartment cleaned, refurnished, and restocked with food and clothing.

That evening he stopped by Mount Sinai, hoping to find Wufei glued to his father's bedside. He was not disappointed.

As he looked into the small window, he had to pause at the scene before him. Henry Chang looked feeble and very, very old under the harsh fluorescent lighting. Wufei sat by his side, bowed head in profile to Treize. His spine was still so straight that it looked to be made of steel, but the look in his eyes was chilling, even for a man like Treize. It was not a look of defeat, but one of determination.

Treize almost turned to leave, but he reminded himself of who _he_ was, and he opened the door without knocking.

Wufei's fierce black gaze was instantly upon him.

"Get out."

Treize smirked.

"Come now, you won't even let me pay respects to a former business associate. Does your hatred know no boundaries?"

"Does your greed?" Wufei challenged. He stood and Treize was actually grateful that the hospital bed separated them.

"Greed? Ha. And here I thought we understood each other."

Wufei's eyes narrowed and he seemed to be recalculating his view of Treize. It was while he did so that Treize did some recalculating of his own. Before, Treize had always written off Wufei as a necessary and secondary adversary, a minor conquest on his way to victory over Heero Yuy. But now… Wufei's beauty was undeniable. Even in the terrible lighting, and even with sleeplessness and self-recrimination scarring his face, there was a certain elegance and nobility of his features that Treize had overlooked before. As for danger… Treize knew that Wufei had trained well in the martial arts. He was, perhaps, even more of a challenge than Heero Yuy was.

"It's all a game to you. Destroying people's lives. Conquering the will of others and ruining the legacy they have created."

Treize was actually impressed.

"I derive no pleasure from destruction. But, occasionally, a little fire is necessary to allow for new growth. I am a collector, Wufei, of beautiful and dangerous things. I didn't realize, until this moment, that you were worthy of being added to my collection."

Wufei's eyes burned with hatred. "I am no object and I will not be possessed by _you_."

Treize quirked an eyebrow upwards. "Ah, but you _will_ be possessed. I wonder… ah ha. Now it all makes sense. Of course you didn't care if your marriage to Meilin Wong ended. She was a duty you fulfilled. Never a desire."

Treize had slowly approached Wufei during this speech, so that by the end he was able to whisper the last words against Wufei's ear. He felt the shorter man shudder.

"I will not submit to you," Wufei growled, but he didn't move away from Treize.

He chuckled. "Possession, submission, Wufei, are you giving me instructions on how you like to be fucked?" He brushed a hand along the slight curve of Wufei's muscled rear.

That statement and his action forced Wufei to step away, to back down, and Treize smirked at the angry red flush on his cheeks.

"Leave my father in peace," Wufei said in an angry, whispered plea.

"Because you can't save him? Because you have failed?" Treize injected sympathy into his voice, and Wufei's gaze turned nuclear.

"If it's me you want, then come and get _me_ ," Wufei demanded.

Treize chuckled. "I am," Treize assured him. "But I have to amuse myself _somehow_."

"If you have any honor, you will leave him in peace. "

Treize tapped a finger on his lips as he considered Wufei's words.

"Strip naked and kneel before me, submit to me right now. Right here. And I will drop the lawsuit against your father and allow him to die in peace." Treize nodded towards the man in the bed.

He knew that there was no possibility of Wufei fulfilling his request, but the look on his face was worth it.

Wufei turned nearly purple with rage. He jerked his shirt off angrily, buttons ripping and flying off into far corners of the room. He stood there, gloriously sculpted chest heaving with angry breaths, and glared at Treize.

"You are depraved," Wufei growled. "This is the closest I will _ever_ come to submitting to you. Get out of my father's room or I will call security. Do not come back here and do not contact him."

Treize took a moment longer to enjoy the view, and assured himself that Wufei Chang _would_ submit to him. He bowed his head and left the hospital room.

* * *

On Tuesday he decided to drop the lawsuit against Henry Chang. It actually amused him to think that now Wufei would be in his debt for the action. His next move was to offer Wufei his previous position as CEO, for twice the salary he had earned under his father. Predictably, Wufei refused.

Treize had a thirteenth century Masamune katana delivered to Wufei's home on Wednesday morning. He wondered if the man would be able to return such a priceless gift, or if Wufei's loathing of him was complete enough that he might actually be moved to destroy the precious sword.

At three that afternoon, Zechs Merquise arrived on a private jet at JFK. Treize had a car meet his old friend, and brought him back to his Upper West Side penthouse to recuperate after the flight.

Zechs looked as handsome as he ever had, long blonde hair loose around his shoulders, his standard uniform of a fitted gray suit, solid red tie, and classic white shirt setting off his austere features.

He smirked as he was greeted by Treize and accepted the scotch that the older man presented him with.

"It's been too long, Treize," he said and then took a sip of the scotch. He closed his eyes in pleasure at the taste, and Treize was forcibly reminded of just how attractive the other man was.

It had been years since they had been physically involved. Zechs had begun as one of Treize's many conquests, but their relationship had evolved into a friendship. While not equals, Zechs was as close to an equal as Treize had ever allowed any man to become. He respected Zechs, even after his conquest, and he found the man to be a valuable ally.

"I appreciate you taking the time to visit."

Zechs shrugged.

"I was only vacationing in Patagonia. And I was intrigued by your proposition."

Treize smirked.

"Yes. It seems that I have it within my grasp to control Yuy Inc."

Zechs arched an eyebrow.

"I thought his sons inherited the company?"

"They did. Assuming they can tolerate each other for the next year."

Zechs leaned back, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"Do tell."

Treize outlined Odin's will, and the rumblings of discontent from Darlian and other board members.

"Fascinating, and no doubt it will present you with a minor challenge. But, why am I here?"

"Trowa Barton."

He watched the expressions that came over Zechs' face. Surprise, then anger, then a look of pure lust that Treize wished had been directed at him, and not the memory of Trowa Barton.

"What does he have to do with anything?" Zechs asked, voice carefully neutral.

"He is Heero Yuy's new lawyer, and Yuy is disgustingly infatuated."

Zechs' jaw clenched. "And Trowa? Does he reciprocate the infatuation?"

Treize shrugged. "Hard to tell. But he presents an obstacle to my plans and I want him removed. Heero trusts him too much, already, and I need Heero to be isolated and completely without allies for my plan to succeed."

"You want me to seduce Trowa."

"I want you to do whatever you want with him. If you want to fuck him, by all means. Unless you grew bored of him and tossed him aside? Is that why he ran away to Winner?"

Zechs' blue eyes looked frozen, and Treize knew that he had struck a nerve.

"Oh. Did he tire of _you_? How unusual. Are you losing your touch?"

"Do not taunt me. I'm not as easy to manipulate now as I was at nineteen," Zechs said in a furious whisper.

"Oh, but you are," Treize assured him with a cruel smile. He jerked Zechs to his feet by his tie. "We have a gala to attend this evening. But in the meantime, I could do with some entertainment."

He released Zechs and left the room, confident that Zechs would follow.

* * *

Next Up: Trouble…

* * *

**Chapter 8: Chapter 8**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter VIII**

As much as he tried to, Trowa could come up with no decent excuse to get out of going to Celia Yuy's charity gala on Wednesday night. The Versace tuxedo that Quatre had guilted him into buying the year before was immaculately pressed and clean, waiting for him in his closet at home. He wasn't sick, because, in his sister's words, he had the constitution of a performer and was _never_ really sick. He couldn't even use the excuse of work – if Heero could tear himself away from the office, it was ridiculous for Trowa to try to remain behind.

The real reasons that Trowa didn't want to attend the event were not ones he could voice out loud, and would in no way sway Celia Yuy to feel anything but disdain for him.

He hated these events, the crowds of wealthy men and women who seemed to live for any excuse to dress in expensive clothes, drink, and give away a paltry sum of money – compared to their vast fortunes – to whatever cause célèbre had taken their fancy that week. As a lowly legal assistant at the Merquise Group, he had been spared these events for his first few years. It wasn't until the end, when Zechs Merquise had taken a personal interest in him, that Trowa had been forced to attend the events. Perhaps that was why he associated these types of things with Zechs. Even when Trowa worked for Quatre, he had always found himself looking around for the tall, enigmatic blonde aristocrat.

He was also tired. Exhausted from work, from dealing with Wufei who wanted to file a lawsuit against Treize Khushrenada and had, overnight it seemed, decided that Trowa was his ally. He was also exhausted from dealing with Duo and Heero.

Trowa had spent Saturday night with Duo – they had ordered in pizza and played the Wii with Nathalie for a few hours before they engaged in several rounds of amazing sex in the privacy of Duo's room. As they lay in bed afterwards, Trowa in the pleasant state of semi-consciousness between sleep and wakefulness, he had told Duo about the baseball game, Treize Khushrenada, and how disturbed Heero had seemed by the man. He had refrained from mentioning his own, rather severe reaction to the man. It had taken Trowa all of three seconds to decide that he would never, under any circumstances, trust Treize Khushrenada. The man represented all of the things that Trowa despised, and he couldn't bring himself to be more than passingly polite.

Duo had been silent, and Trowa had thought he was already asleep. The next morning, when Trowa left for his own apartment and Duo and Nathalie headed to Celia's weekly brunch, Duo had instructed him to do a better job of protecting his brother.

Trowa had no idea what those cryptic words meant, but on Monday morning, Heero and then Duo entered the office, already fighting, and it was clear that the subject was Treize Khushrenada. The brothers continued their fight right up until they left on Wednesday to prepare for their mother's gala. Trowa was no closer to understanding what, exactly, they were fighting about than he had been on Monday morning. He couldn't ask Wufei, because even the mention of Treize Khushrenada would send the man into a near apoplectic fit.

He had cancelled a date with Duo last night. They had been planning on going out and then spending the night at Trowa's apartment, testing his Ikea furniture for structural stability. But he didn't want to deal with the simmering anger of Duo whenever Heero, work, or Khushrenada were mentioned.

So, tonight, he reluctantly put on his tuxedo and went to pick up his sister.

Catherine buzzed him up to her apartment – she was, predictably, still getting dressed – and Trowa had a few minutes to relax with the twins.

At eight, they were already a menace and already showed amazing promise as dancers. Lucien and Lillian looked like miniature versions of Catherine and Trowa himself, with the same auburn hair and green eyes that they had inherited from their own parents. Luc – because he absolutely refused to answer to Lucien – threw himself into Trowa's arms when he opened the door and discovered his uncle on the other side. Lilly was more reserved, but eventually she too hugged him. It amused him to note that Luc had Catherine's more outgoing nature, while Lilly was more reserved, much like him.

He was relieved to see that they no more resembled their long absent, jerk of a father now than they had before. Trevor Bloom had transferred to the American Ballet Theater from the English National Ballet to be a principal in the company. Catherine, already a principal at ABT, had been impressed by his technique, his charming accent, and his Nordic good looks. Catherine had fallen hard for the man, and Trowa was still convinced that she had fallen for his talent more than anything else, and the two had married after five seasons of dancing together. When Catherine, pregnant with the twins, had retired from the stage, Trevor seemed to take that as license to start screwing every dancer in the company. He asked for a divorce a week before Catherine's due date, and Trowa had taken immense pleasure in serving as Catherine's lawyer and ensuring that Trevor paid an exorbitant monthly child support stipend.

"How's it going?" He asked them. "Learn any new routines?"

Luc immediately directed Trowa to the couch and then shoved the living room coffee table aside so he had plenty of space to show off. Lilly sat down beside Trowa, content to watch.

Trowa watched the boy move, a sense of nostalgia overwhelming him as he remembered himself at that age, just as carefree as just as in love with ballet as Luc seemed to be. The next year, of course, his parents had been killed in a car accident and he had given up on his dreams of being a dancer, like his sister, and their parents before them.

"What's wrong?" Lilly asked beside him, her small hand in his much larger one. "He's doing it right. Why are you frowning?"

"I'm frowning because I haven't danced with _you_ in forever," he said, quickly covering up his depression and sweeping her up into his arms.

Lilly shrieked in delight as he tossed her into the air and then let her fall, catching her in a graceful arc and setting her feet on the floor. She spun away from him, and then back, her steps precise and elegant, especially considering her age. He caught her in his arms and twirled her around, not even real steps anymore, but she giggled in delight. Luc was jealous of being left out, so Trowa stepped aside and let the two dance together.

"Remind you of anyone?"

He turned to see Catherine leaning in the doorway. She looked beautiful, in a green chiffon empire style gown that was simple and elegant, and showed off her long neck and lean, toned arms. Her hair was up and she was putting in earrings.

Trowa put his nose into the air and sniffed. "At his age, I wouldn't be caught dead dancing with my sister."

Catherine snorted. "At his age, your sister was about a foot taller than you. You would have looked ridiculous dancing with me."

Trowa shrugged. "Tell yourself that. We both know it was because I was too talented."

She smacked him in his stomach with her purse.

"Okay, grab your sleep over bags and let's go over to Mrs. Rodriguez," she announced.

Both children groaned, but dutifully grabbed the backpacks stuffed with their pajamas, toys, and books.

Catherine shepherded all of them to the door, and Trowa waited in the hall while she deposited them with her neighbor, the elderly Mrs. Rodriguez.

She turned to him with a smile.

"Alright, Mr. Hotshot. Let's go to this fancy party of yours."

"We don't have to," he said, although he offered his arm and she accepted, as though he were escorting her to a royal wedding.

"Of course we do. I have to put faces on those fantasies of mine, remember?" She winked at him.

"If things keep going the way they are, they're going to be my fantasies too," he muttered.

As they got into the cab and drove toward the Guggenheim, the location of Celia's gala, Catherine demanded that he tell her everything.

He did – in enough detail to have her begging him to stop, she didn't _need_ to know his preference for unscented lubricant – but when she was done, her advice was less than helpful.

"I told you so," she said.

"I hate you," he replied.

She smiled and as they got out of the cab, she smoothed down his suit.

"You look fantastic, and you _are_ fantastic. Sue me for wanting your life to be everything that you deserve."

She looked perfectly sincere, and he had to shake his head and look away.

" _You_ deserve a fantastic life," he responded after a moment.

"And I have it. Two beautiful children, my own studio, a wonderful brother."

"You never danced Giselle," he said softly, recalling her childhood dream.

"Oh Trowa, I dance it every day!"

He looked at her, alarmed at the glint of tears in her eyes. She sniffed and then punched him in the shoulder.

"Look what you've done! Ugh! I can't take you anywhere."

He let her lighten the mood and smiled back. He rubbed his arm.

"You're the violent one. I might need to take out a restraining order."

"As if the law could contain _me_."

They entered and Trowa instantly wanted to turn around and walk right back out.

The lobby was decorated for the event with enormous blue crystal chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, far above them. Blue tables, blue fountains, blue everywhere. Except for the guests. The men had all dressed strictly in black tuxedos, and the women wore every shade imaginable, but not one had dressed in the cerulean of the decorations. Trowa didn't know if that was by design or by luck, but when he saw Celia Yuy greeting her many friends, he knew it was by design. _She_ was dressed in a satin gown the exact shade of blue as the decorations, and she stood out from the crowd.

He nodded in her direction.

"That's Celia, Heero's mother."

"She's beautiful. Oh, Trowa, I think that's a Carolina Herrera dress. She looks amazing. Introduce me."

Trowa rolled his eyes, but obliged, knowing he would have to greet his hostess anyway.

As the crossed the room, Trowa scanned the crowd for Duo or Heero, but saw neither. He wondered if Heero _had_ managed to avoid the event for work after all.

"Mrs. Yuy, this is a lovely event," he said as they stopped in front of her.

She smiled politely. "Thank you, Trowa darling. Who is this beautiful young lady?"

"My sister, Catherine Bloom."

"My dear – Catherine – Catherine Barton, at one point?" She asked.

Catherine nodded uneasily.

"Oh, darling, I saw you in Romeo and Juliet… ten years ago now? You were exquisite!"

Catherine blinked in surprise. It had been a long time since anyone had recognized her.

"Thank – thank you. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it."

"Oh yes, you were so lovely, you," she paused and laughed. She looked at Trowa. "I used to drag Duo to the ballet while Odin took Heero to baseball games. I swear, he saw your sister's performance and decided that he would marry her."

Trowa blinked, absorbing that information.

"Of course, he had come out by then, so I knew it wasn't likely, but… it did give me hope."

Celia looked beyond them and smiled at someone else.

"Thank you for inviting us, and I hope that the evening goes well," Trowa said and steered Catherine away.

She waited until they were out of earshot.

"So, your _boyfriend_ wants to _marry_ me?" She giggled.

Trowa glared.

"He w _anted_ to. And he was probably just saying that. Or, it could be because you looked like a boy in a dress."

Now she glared and he smirked back at her.

"Thank God she didn't remember that Trevor was Romeo. I could _not_ have dealt with that."

Trowa steered her towards the bar.

"What would you like?"

"Champagne, I haven't had any in years."

He procured two glasses from a passing waiter and then led her to one side of the room, slightly removed from the crowd.

"So, what is this event, anyway?" Catherine asked.

"It's a fundraiser for Presbyterian's Children's Cancer Ward. All of the art was donated by contemporary artists, and the proceeds from each piece will go to the ward."

"Oh, that's wonderful."

"Yes. Or they could have just donated the money without throwing an expensive party."

"You really hate to wear a tux, don't you?"

"More than anything," he assured her.

Just then he spotted Duo and his date, Hilde Schiebeker.

Unlike every other man present, Duo had flaunted convention and was wearing a white tux. Trowa rolled his eyes at the sight of him. Hilde was wearing a black dress that clung to her body, although it was considerably more tasteful and stylish than the dress Trowa had met her in.

He watched while Duo greeted his disapproving mother, and then floated among the other guests.

"You're staring," Catherine said from beside him. "Who is he?"

"That's Duo."

"Duo – oh. Well. That explains a lot."

He glared.

"I'm just saying, I can understand your lack of self control. Who is that with him?"

"Hilde Schiebeker. His best friend."

"She looks interesting."

Trowa spared his sister a look. While his sister had had plenty of dates in the years since her divorce from Trevor, nothing had ever been serious enough for Catherine to actually introduce a man to her children. Towa had long suspected that his sister was actually attracted to women, especially after the way that Trevor had used her. He refrained from bringing it up, however, because she had let _him_ come out on his own terms.

"I'm sure that eventually Duo will make his way over and you can meet her," he assured her.

"Who is _that_?" Catherine demanded, forcing his attention to the front again.

Trowa forgot to breathe, and his heart actually skipped a beat.

"Zechs Merquise," he murmured.

Catherine frowned.

"What is he doing here? You didn't tell me he –"

"I have no idea," he interrupted her, attempting to head off a rant. He scowled as Zechs swept into the room, heads turning to take him in and admire his beauty. Trowa watched as he approached Celia, said something charming enough to make her laugh, and then proceeded to walk with him around the room, introducing him.

Trowa forced his eyes away from his one time lover, reminding himself of all the reasons he truly despised Zechs Merquise. It was difficult to do, considering how amazing he looked in a tux.

Heero and Wufei entered a moment later, both without dates. Heero greeted his mother briefly, ignored Zechs entirely, and seemed to be searching for someone. Their eyes locked, and Heero approached.

"And who is the hottie coming our way?"

"My boss, Heero Yuy," he muttered with a smirk.

"Oh," she said, her disappointment evident.

"Heero, this is my sister, Catherine. Catherine, Heero Yuy."

"A pleasure." Heero actually kissed the back of her hand, and Catherine looked as taken aback by the gesture as Trowa was.

"Thank you," Catherine said, and seemed well on her way to being charmed by Heero.

"I wanted to apologize to you, for the way Duo and I have been driving you crazy this week," Heero said. He formed a triangle with them, and Trowa was flattered that Heero was taking the time to have a conversation before he made his rounds to the well-known New York elite that surrounded them.

"It's my job," Trowa reminded Heero. It was a mantra he had repeated to himself often over the past few days.

"I don't recall advertising for a babysitter," Heero argued, one corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

"Bonus for you, then," Trowa said with an answering expression.

Heero turned to Catherine.

"I take it you are responsible for his manners and politeness," he said.

"Of course. I'm responsible for all of the good things – the bad things he did to himself," she said with a smile.

"Trowa neglected to tell me what you did for a living. Are you also a lawyer?"

"No, I followed the family profession. I was a dancer, until I retired to raise my children."

"Ballet?" Heero asked.

Catherine nodded. "Yes, and now I run a studio downtown."

"Why didn't Trowa go into dance?" Heero asked, seeming genuinely curious.

Trowa felt himself tense at the question, and he anticipated Catherine using the opportunity to poke at the sore subject of his becoming a lawyer.

"He thought he could do more good as a lawyer," Catherine asked after a long moment. Trowa gave her a grateful look.

"I can't say I'm sorry. I likely would have never met him otherwise, and I consider it an honor to know him."

Catherine's eyes narrowed, and Trowa sensed an attack brewing. He pinched her elbow.

"Are you not a fan of the ballet?" She asked sweetly.

"No. My mother and my brother are fanatics, however."

"Hm. Yes, I heard your brother was a fan."

Heero looked confused by the statement, and Trowa was about to explain, when Celia circled around to them, Zechs still in tow.

"Darling, I'm so glad you made it," she embraced her son and allowed him to kiss her cheeks." But you rushed off earlier."

Trowa tried not to look at Zechs.

"I'd like for you to meet someone. This is Zechs Merquise, his mother was a dear friend of mine in school, so many years ago. Zechs, this is my son Heero, and this is Trowa Barton and his sister, the ballerina, Catherine Barton."

Catherine didn't bother to correct Celia about her name, and Trowa assumed it was because she was too busy glaring at Zechs.

With an internal sigh, he looked up and met the cold blue gaze of his former lover. And just like that, the same fire, the same scorching heat, flooded through him as their gaze caught. Trowa hadn't been a virgin when he met Zechs, and he had been involved with a fair number of men since, but no one quite compared to Zechs. Sex with him was like walking through a fire, and it burned you from the inside out. Trowa had been addicted to the man after only one night, and it had been incredibly difficult to walk away from him, knowing that he would never have sex with him again.

"Zechs."

"Trowa. So good to see you again. You are looking splendid."

"Oh, how do you two know each other?" Celia asked, delighted.

"I worked for Zechs in Paris, for three years," Trowa answered shortly.

"You were more than a mere employee," Zechs said with a smirk.

Celia blinked and then seemed to realize what he was saying. Trowa was forced to keep his gaze on Zechs, afraid to see Heero's reaction.

"Oh, well, then I'm certain you two have quite a bit of catching up to do. Heero, come along – and Catherine – I have a few friends who are dying to meet you!" And just like that, Celia whisked away his sister and Heero, leaving Trowa alone with a man he had hoped to never see again.

"Thank you for embarrassing me in front of my employer," Trowa said.

"I embarrass you?" Zechs snorted, as if the idea was too preposterous to be believed.

"I'd like it if you didn't advertise to the world that we were involved," Trowa bit out.

"So we were involved? You acknowledge it now?"

"I always acknowledged it," Trowa replied. He scanned the crowd, wondering if there was any way he could flee the scene and still salvage his pride. "You were the one who made it into some ridiculous, illicit liaison."

"Trowa, your sense of the dramatic hasn't faded much, has it?"

"You were in a serious relationship with a Danish Prince!"

Zechs blinked, as if to say _and_?

"You snuck around with me for a year and then decided to fuck me in front of him to make him jealous!"

"He didn't mind at all. He even joined in."

"I minded. You used me as some sort of… amusement. I was just there to entertain you."

"Well, you never indicated that you wanted to be anything else."

Trowa glared at Zechs and was actually able to see past his lust for the man and realize that Zechs had really never viewed Trowa as anything other than a toy. And likely never would. The fact that part of Trowa accepted that – was even excited by that – disturbed him. He tried to squeeze that part of himself back to the corners of his mind.

"What brings you to New York?" Trowa asked, trying desperately to change the subject.

"You, of course."

Trowa thought for a moment that Zechs might be serious, but then the blonde man laughed, the brittle sound stabbing through Trowa.

"Business, of course. We're looking to expand to the States. Would you happen to know any potential clients? Anyone who could use my services?"

Trowa actually thought his jaw might break, he was clenching it so hard.

"I'm afraid not," he finally bit out.

Zechs shrugged.

"No matter. I've scheduled a few weeks to stay here. And I'm sure that Celia will introduce me to more appropriate partners. Still… nothing wrong with revisiting the past, is there, Trowa?"

And there it was, the classic technique that Zechs had always used on Trowa. An insult, to remind him just how far apart they were in society, and then the sexual innuendo and the look, as though Trowa were completely naked and Zechs already owned him.

"I recall you saying you didn't need to waste your time or efforts on someone like me," Trowa said, remembering their last time together and the ensuing fight, as Trowa had packed his apartment and prepared to go to work for Quatre.

"Well, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. Besides, it's not as if you ever required that much effort. Time, on the other hand… you did always use plenty of that."

Trowa forced himself _not_ to remember, _not_ to recall the way Zechs' body felt as it moved over him, inside of him.

"Hey – hope I'm not interrupting anything!"

It was Duo, and Trowa had never appreciated him more than he did in that moment. He almost sagged in relief.

"Duo," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral while at the same time thanking him.

His current lover frowned, the tone obviously concerning him. He looked over at Zechs.

"'Fraid we haven't met." He held out one hand and grinned. "I'm Duo Maxwell, and this is the inestimable Hilde Schiebecker."

Zechs reluctantly shook Duo's hand and nodded politely to Hilde.

"Zechs Merquise."

"Of the Merquise Group I assume?"

Zechs nodded.

"Interesting. You know, I was just going over some of our subsidiaries' numbers, and I think we might want to rethink our PR representatives. Have any suggestions for some good American firms?"

The smile Zechs gave Trowa was that of a predator.

"Actually, I was just telling Trowa that the Merquise Group is going to expand into the States. I think we might be a viable firm for your needs."

"Cool. I know Trowa used to work for you, so you must have good taste." Duo winked at Trowa. Zechs chuckled. Trowa contemplated suicide.

Hilde took that opportunity to speak up.

"Enough about work. I didn't agree to be your date so you could talk about the ever so dull world of corporate whatever all night." She turned to Trowa. "It's nice to see you again."

"You as well. I can see that black is a thing of yours." He nodded at her dress.

"Well, it does look fantastic on me,' she said with a smirk.

Trowa wondered if he could just talk to Hilde long enough that Zechs would grow bored and walk away.

"Do you mind if I steal Trowa for a few moments? He promised to show me a few of the pieces for sale," Zechs said with a nod at the spiral of the Guggenheim.

Trowa glared at him.

"Actually, I needed to snag him about a thing at work – and since I promised Hilde not to talk about work in front of her – can I trust you to keep her entertained for a few? Thanks." Without waiting for a response, Duo threw an arm around Trowa's shoulders and steered him away from the group.

"Thank you," Trowa said once they were free.

"What the hell was that about? Why was he looking at you like you were his favorite crayon and I was stealing it?"

Trowa snorted in amusement as Duo summed up the situation perfectly. He briefly debated telling Duo about his relationship with Zechs. But he didn't want to deal with Duo becoming jealous, and he certainly didn't want to deal with any pity Duo might direct his way, as Quatre had done.

"He doesn't like hearing no, and he wanted to catch up," Trowa explained.

"But you didn't?"

"Not particularly. Not right now."

"Right." But Duo let it go. Instead, he gave Trowa his most charming smile.

"Listen, I've been a jerk this week, and I apologize. But Khushrenada is…a really, really big threat and Heero and I have a kind of complicated past with him."

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"It's not worth getting into details – and besides, it's Heero's business more than mine – but suffice to say: Khushrenada is a manipulative asshole and he's pretty good at manipulating Heero into doing some pretty stupid shit. Based on what you said – and Heero finally told me – it sounds like someone told Khushrenada the details of the will, and he wants to make trouble. We kind of need to make a team effort not to let that bastard win."

"I am on your side. You and Heero," he clarified.

"I know. Uh, speaking of which – I got a call today. The custody hearing for Nat was moved up to tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" There was a board meeting scheduled for the next day.

"Yeah. I need to be there. And you need to be at the board meeting to cover Heero's ass."

"You need a lawyer," Trowa pointed out.

"I'll figure something out," Duo assured him.

"I'm coming," Trowa said after a moment's consideration. "Heero doesn't actually need me there. And the fact that the date was moved… something's going on."

Duo seemed on the verge of arguing, but then he shrugged.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that. So, uh… you got plans for later tonight?"

Trowa was on the verge of saying no, but then Zechs started to approach.

"I'm not free tonight," he told Duo reluctantly.

"Friday, then?" Duo asked.

"Yes. Dinner and then my place?"

"Perfect." Duo leaned forward, and Trowa was sure he was about to kiss him, but then Duo seemed to remember where they were. He slapped Trowa on the shoulder and then saluted Zechs, who was now beside them.

"All yours, thanks, buddy," Duo winked again at Trowa and walked off.

"Please don't tell me you've replaced me with such an inferior model," Zechs scoffed as Duo walked off.

"He is your superior in every way," Trowa assured him.

"So you _are_ fucking him." Zechs shook his head in mock sympathy. "What is it with your attraction to men better than you? I have to admit, I'm shocked you aren't with Yuy. Now there is a magnificent specimen."

Zechs started walking up the sloping spiral of the gallery, and Trowa found himself falling into step beside him, as if tugged into place by gravity.

They were about halfway up, with most of the guests below them, when Zechs tried a door and found it to be unlocked. Trowa followed him inside, knowing from experience just what Zechs intended.

It was an abandoned conference room, and Zechs pushed Trowa's back against the door and locked it in one smooth motion.

He pressed their bodies together, and Trowa felt that familiar burn that only Zechs seemed to ignite in him. Zechs leaned in and nipped at Trowa's lower lip.

With a groan, Trowa leaned into the contact, and when Zech's tongue darted out, he captured it between his lips.

"For all your talk, you are completely pathetic," Zechs murmured as he pulled away from the kiss. He brushed Trowa's bangs back. He had always preferred it when Trowa wore them off his face.

Trowa swallowed, hating himself for not being able to respond to the words, but being eager to respond to the physical presence of Zechs. Hating more the fact that part of him – a growing part- was enjoying this.

"I'm sure you just love the way Maxwell treats you like an _equal_ ," Zechs spat the word. "But we both know that's not what you are. We both know what you're good for. Strip." The last was delivered casually, as if Zechs wasn't in any way interested in whether Trowa obeyed him. Zechs stepped away from him.

He resisted, for a full minute, but the heat in Zechs' eyes undid him. Glaring at the man, he slowly undressed, despising and yet savoring Zechs's gaze devouring his naked body.

"What do you want?" Zechs demanded. He leisurely stroked Trowa's penis, as though it was a way to pass the time.

Trowa remained silent.

"What," Zechs pulled Trowa closer, " do you want?" He kissed him, open mouthed and brutal, with a fair amount of teeth.

"Fuck me," Trowa heard himself beg when they broke apart.

"I'm afraid I don't have any lube… I hadn't planned on you being quite _this_ easy," Zechs said as he turned Trowa around and roughly pushed him onto the cold, laminated surface of the conference table. Zechs kicked his legs apart and Trowa heard the sound of his zipper sliding downwards.

Zechs ran a hand through Trowa's hair and down the side of his face, to his mouth, and waited until Trowa took his fingers into his mouth and coated them with saliva.

"Good," Zechs said and ran his other hand down Trowa's back, finding that sensitive spot on his spine that had always made Trowa arch back. He chuckled.

A moment later, Zechs removed the fingers from Trowa's mouth and used them to prepare Trowa, first one finger pumping in and out, and then two. Trowa groaned. He had forgotten just how far inside Zechs liked to push, his fingers scissoring open inside of him.

"It sounds like you're a bit out of practice." Zechs was amused, and Trowa waited, breathless, as he put on a condom. He was grateful that Zechs had at least prepared _that_ much.

Without warning, Zechs slammed into Trowa, his impressive girth and length filling Trowa to the point of pain.

"Fuck," he whimpered, and Zechs laughed.

"Oh Trowa, I've missed your ass so much." He set a brutal pace, pounding into Trowa and at the same time running a hand down his back, coaxing Trowa's hips back to meet his own.

"Fuck," Trowa said again, as Zechs' entire length seemed to slide along his prostate.

"So good," Zechs said, as though encouraging Trowa.

As much as Trowa resented Zechs, even hated him, there was no denying how much his own body responded to the aristocrat's brutal use of him.

He felt something start to build within him, and he reached back to stroke himself.

Zechs chuckled and slapped his hand away.

"Oh no. This isn't for you." Zechs punctuated the statement with a harsh thrust of his hips that shoved Trowa forward several inches on the table, painfully forcing his erection backwards.

"If you want to come, then you'll have to beg me for it. Some other time."

Zechs gave a few more thrusts and then he came with a grunt. He pulled out after a moment and then gave a wet, open mouthed kiss to the base of Trowa's spine.

"You were delightful, as always."

He heard Zechs zip up his pants, but he remained on the table, unable to face the man.

"I'm sure that Duo will arrange a meeting soon. Perhaps… since you were so good the last time, we can arrange a threesome?"

That brought Trowa up and he turned to glare at Zechs. The other man laughed at him.

"So sensitive." Zechs stroked a thumb across his jaw. "The look on your face when Anton opened the door… and then, when I made you suck him…you were made for fucking, Trowa."

"It isn't that Duo treats me as an equal," Trowa said as he jerked his jaw away. "He treats me like a human being."

Zechs raised his eyebrows. "I don't ignore your needs, Trowa. I fulfill them as well." He reached out and ran his hand down Trowa's semi-erect penis. "You just don't deserve it right now."

"Not everything revolves around sex."

"Of course not," Zechs agreed. "But let's be realistic. There could never be a relationship between us. All we have is sex. The best sex of our lives. Surely that's worth s _omething_."

Zechs released him and left the room.

Trowa dressed quickly, terrified that someone would walk in and find him naked. He waited ten minutes before he left, however, hoping that anyone who might have spotted Zechs would have moved on by that time.

As he left the room, he scanned the guests in search of his sister. He saw her down below, chatting with Hilde. The two women were laughing over something, and Hilde laid a hand on his sister's arm. It could have been a harmless touch, but Trowa noticed the way his sister leaned into it.

He watched them for another few minutes, the light flirtation somehow easing him back towards a state of calm.

"I wondered where you had gotten to," Wufei said, approaching him from above.

Trowa nodded at him. "Sorry I didn't get to speak with you earlier."

Wufei shrugged. "I saw that Celia was in full hostess mode, I decided to stay away until I could catch you on your own."

"How is your father?"

"Not good," Wufei answered after a long, tense pause. His hands were fisted. "I swear that I could kill that sick bastard. If my father dies – "

"Wufei. Stop. Keep your mind clear." Trowa wished that he could take his own advice.

After a moment, the Chinese man nodded.

"I appreciated our tennis game yesterday."

Trowa smirked. Duo and Heero had not shown, but he and Wufei had played on their own. He thought that the physical exercise had been a good release for the other man.

"He sent me a Masamune katana this morning."

Trowa had no idea what Wufei was talking about, and it must have shown.

Wufei sighed in irritation. "Masamune was the premier swordsmith of thirteenth and fourteenth century Japan. He revolutionized – forget it. It's a priceless relic."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Stab it through his heart," Wufei muttered angrily.

"As a lawyer, I can't say that I recommend that course of action."

Wufei gave him a patronizing look.

"Of course I won't. The blood would tarnish the steel, which is incredibly fragile after such a long time."

Trowa rolled his eyes. Wufei was a complete mystery to him.

"Duo has warned me to do a better job protecting Heero. From Khushrenada."

Wufei nodded in agreement.

"Heero is a good man. A strong man. But sometimes… he makes decisions too rashly. Trusting Khushrenada was one of those decisions. I cannot fathom why Odin would threaten to leave the company to that man."

"Perhaps, if he is as despised as you say, Odin hoped that it would encourage Heero and Duo to work together?"

Wufei frowned as he considered the idea.

"There is more to it than that. Odin was almost as manipulative as Khushrenada is."

They stood there in silence for several moments, each lost to their thoughts.

"I'm going to attempt to escape," Wufei said at last. "Have a good evening."

"Thank you."

Trowa watched the other man walk away and decided that if Wufei could leave, he could as well.

He tracked down his sister, still deep in conversation with Hilde.

"Time to go?" He asked casually.

Catherine's smile faded.

"So soon?"

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"It's nearly eleven," he pointed out.

"Yes, but what's the point of having the kids sleep over if I'm home by a decent hour?" Catherine demanded with a pout.

Hilde giggled.

"I'll make sure she gets home, Mr. Barton."

Trowa studied her.

"Or I can get myself home. I'm ten years older than either one of you!" Catherine pointed out loudly.

Hilde smiled. "You don't look it. You have such fabulous skin."

Trowa rolled his eyes as his sister blushed and returned the compliment. The two started to compare skin care regiments.

"Fine. I'm leaving. Call me in the morning." He kissed his sister on the cheek and gave Hilde a warning look.

On his way out, he spotted Heero, deep in conversation with several middle aged, balding men. He nodded to him, and Heero made his excuses and walked over.

"Leaving?" Heero asked, a hint of wistfulness in his voice.

"Yes. The custody hearing has been moved up to tomorrow morning. Duo won't be at the board meeting."

Heero swore and was silent for a moment. "You should go, too. I'll be fine."

"You could postpone," he suggested.

"I've already done that once, I can' appear weak in front of them. Actually, this could be a good thing. Duo won't be there to antagonize anyone. And your mere presence won't fill Darlian with rage." This he added with a smirk. It had been a constant source of amusement to Heero, as he watched his father's old friend interact with the young lawyer.

"I'll try to move things as quickly as possible," Trowa assured him.

"I know. Hopefully we can still have lunch."

"That would be nice."

Heero's gaze shifted to over Trowa's shoulder. He turned and saw that Heero was staring at Zechs Merquise.

"I didn't realize that your, _habits_ included him."

"I told you they were dangerous," Trowa muttered and turned away from Zechs when the other man caught his gaze.

"Is he the man you're involved with?" Heero asked softly.

"No." Trowa snapped immediately. He sighed. "No."

Heero's gaze seemed to be searching Trowa's for something.

"I do consider you a friend. And after you've listened to me complain these past two weeks, I certainly wouldn't mind returning the favor."

"It's nothing worth listening to," Trowa assured him.

"All the same."

Trowa nodded, and then made good on his escape.

Once outside, he flagged down a taxi. He was filled with a curious energy, and he decided not to head straight home after all. He directed the driver to the Yuy Inc. headquarters.

After he was waved through the late night security, Trowa made his way not to his office, but to the massive gym. This late at night, in the middle of the week, it was abandoned. He walked into the massive, echoing natatorium and stared at the calm, deep blue water of the Olympic sized pool.

He started to strip, for the second time that night, and as soon as he had kicked his boxers free, he dove into the water.

The rush of sound and then the complete void filled him. He swam down and under for as long as he could, until his lungs felt as though they were on fire. Only then did he surface.

As he took in deep, grasping breaths, he tried to focus on the warm weight of the water surrounding him, the feel of it dripping down his face. Anything but what had just happened. The betrayal he had committed.

It had nothing to do with Duo, or their fledgling relationship. Trowa had promised himself, two years ago, never to go back to Zechs. And with little more than a glance, he was back to being nothing, to begging Zechs to fuck him. Trowa was pathetic.

He submerged himself again, and the pounding of his own heartbeat, the nothing of being underwater helped to clear his mind.

But eventually, he had to surface, and everything was still waiting for him.

* * *

Up Next: An old…friend?

* * *

**Chapter 9: Chapter 9**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: So… there is clearly no way that Trowa could have been Catherine's lawyer in her divorce proceedings, because he would have been a first year law student… and he isn't Elle Woods. So definitely just pretend THAT sentence never happened.

* * *

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter IX**

Duo's sleep was fitful, and when he woke up at five A.M he laid in bed for all of ten minutes before he dragged himself out. He pulled on a pair of well-worn Yankees sweatpants and headed downstairs to make himself coffee. Sara wouldn't be up for another hour, and he wanted to let Nat sleep in as late as possible, so the house was empty and silent except for his feet echoing off the steps as he made his way to the kitchen.

Once he had a steaming cup in his hand, he went into the library and sat down in a leather wingback arranged between one of the large French windows and the empty fireplace. The walls of the room were floor to ceiling bookshelves, every one of them filled with books. Reading had been one of Duo's earliest hobbies. When the Yuys had first adopted him, and Heero had decided to make his life a living hell, Duo had found refuge in the enormous library that Odin had assembled. The smell of the books, the feel of the spines, and the pages between his fingers – it had been magical to Duo. Once he had learned to read, Duo had devoured the library, reading anything and everything. The words, the places, the people – he had found all of it an amazing escape. The first allowance he ever earned – and many after that – had gone directly into purchasing books. He wanted a collection of his own, comprised of his favorites, and any new stories that caught his eye. He knew the old cliché – don't just a book by its cover – but Duo was attracted to cover art and the promise of what might lay between the decorated pages.

The comfort that he usually felt when surrounded by his books escaped him this morning.

Last night, after ensuring that Hilde and the lovely Catherine Barton had both made it home, Duo arrived at his own house near midnight and found that Nat was still awake. She was curled in her blankets, crying harsh, silent sobs that shook her shoulders and broke Duo's heart. He had held her for hours, soothing her and whispering promises of keeping her safe, making her happy. By the time she had finally fallen asleep, Duo had felt gutted – all of his energy had gone into assuring Nat that she would be okay, and the repeated assurances had drained him of any hope that he was telling her the truth. He was terrified that the judge and social worker would give her back to her mother – terrified that Nat would go from being a bright, eager, pain in the ass to fading away to nothing, lost in the system.

Now, with the rising sun slanting through the windows and casting golden light on the room, Duo couldn't help but think of how ironic it was. A beautiful day on what could very well be one of the worst days of his and Nat's lives. It should be raining – storming. A hurricane should be outside.

He sat for hours, staring at nothing and trying to convince himself that things would turn out as they should. When Sara found him at seven, still curled up in the chair and clutching the now empty cup of coffee, she sighed loudly.

"Morning," Duo said, glancing over at her.

She shook her head at him and came to sit in the matching chair, on the other side of the fireplace.

"You look just as lost as the day you were brought home, curled up in that chair. Your feet tucked under you."

Duo blushed, realizing that he did probably look like a scared kid. He felt like one.

"Now you, you were a terror. That first week – I thought about quitting every day. Heero was never a problem – oh, he acted out, alright, but you made such a _mes_ of everything."

He had never known that she had ever, once, thought about quitting. Sara had been with the Yuys for years before Duo came along, and he had always imagined that the Yuys just couldn't exist without her. Three years ago, when Heero had been exiled to Macau, Duo had moved into one of the penthouse apartments owned by Yuy Inc, and to his – and Celia's shock – Sara had requested to be transferred to his household, to become his housekeeper.

"I was a terror? Jeez, you used to give me nightmares – you were so strict!" Duo complained.

She smiled slightly. "Straightened you out alright, didn't I?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Why didn't you quit?" Duo asked.

"Oh, well, one day you and Heero were fighting, and somehow or other one of the Ming vases was broken. Shards of it all over the floor. And you – bless your heart – you went and got some Elmers glue and tried to put it back together. You were crying your eyes out, begging not to be sent away, swearing you could fix it. You were so small – so impossibly small for your age. Just hair and eyes and you were so scared."

Duo swallowed back a thick knot of emotion. He didn't remember the incident, but he had no doubt that it had happened – he had lived in mortal fear for two years, knowing that anything he did could get him sent back to foster care.

"It broke my heart, seeing you like that. And well, I just couldn't leave you after that."

"I, ah," Duo had to clear his throat. "I never knew you felt that way. I just… I didn't know."

Sara stood and brushed Duo's long backs back from his face.

"Make sure our girl comes home tonight, will you?" She asked as she took the empty mug from him.

Duo nodded, unable to speak, and watched as she left the room.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered, and scrubbed his eyes with the back of one hand.

After a moment, he drew in a deep breath and forced himself to get up. It was time to face the day.

Getting Nat dressed and out of the door had been only slightly more difficult than every other day. The kid liked to sleep, and waking her was like trying to rouse a pit bull. Today was even worse, because she just went through her morning routine with dark, empty eyes, and refused to speak to either Duo or Sara.

When Sara kissed her goodbye at the door, as the left, Nat had started to cry.

"I don't want to go," she whispered brokenly. Duo and Sara exchanged looks over her head, unified in their thoughts and feelings.

"Well now, if you don't go, you can't come back," Sara admonished as she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Nat's eyes. She had used the same line countless times on Duo when he was a child. It made him smile, to hear it again.

"I – I want to come back."

"And you will. Now, off with you before you're late." Sara gently pushed them outside and shut the door behind them.

"Well, ready for the showdown?" Duo asked Nat, forcing himself to smirk.

She shrugged, but followed him to the car and climbed into the backseat without complaint. The car was a new addition – purchased over the weekend when Duo realized that, living out here in Brooklyn, it was a hell of a commute to get to first the Bronx and then to lower Manhattan every day, and then back to Brooklyn again. He refused to hire a car, as Heero and his mother did, but he also felt stupid taking a taxi everywhere, and there was no way he ever took the subway unless he was with Hilde. So, on Sunday, he had taken Nat with him and let her pick out what color Toyota Prius he should buy. She had thought the car itself was a bit lame – but she loved the bright blue color, and the fact that she had gotten to pick it out.

The drive to the courthouse was silent, except for the low, distant bass of the R&B station that Nat had programmed into the radio during her first five minutes in the car, and which Duo reluctantly turned on whenever she rode with him.

When they arrived and parked, Duo found Trowa waiting for them at the front entrance, halfway up the broad marble stairs, and looking perfectly at ease in his navy suit, striped tie, and crisp white shirt. He even had his glasses on, as if he had been reading over notes before they arrived. His leather briefcase was at his feet, and a grimly neutral expression on his face.

"Morning," Duo greeted.

"Morning," Trowa responded, looking first at him and then down at Nat.

"Are you ready?" He asked, directing the question at her.

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter, does it?"

Trowa knelt down and waited until she looked at him. "Of course it matters. It matters to Duo, and it matters to me. You matter." He assured her.

"Not to her," she whispered, voice full of fear and anger.

"And she doesn't matter to us," Duo responded, kneeling himself. "This is all about you. Making sure that you are happy, that you get to come home. That you get to be where you want to be."

"You're – you don't want to get rid of me?" The look in her eyes was devastating.

"No. Never. I love you, kid. And if you want – you're mine, okay? We're family, you and me. Okay?" He felt almost as vulnerable as she looked, putting that out there.

"Not just… for now. But for always?" She asked, tentative.

"Hell yeah. Finders keepers, right?" He laughed shakily when she launched herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly, the feel of her thin, strong arms wrapped around his neck still novel. He pulled back after a minute, noticed her crying again.

"But you gotta stop crying or they're gonna think you don't like me," he admonished softly, with a slight smile.

"But I _don't_ like you," she joked, even as she swiped as her eyes and sniffled loudly.

"That's my girl." Duo stood and grinned down at her.

"Ready?" Trowa asked after a minute.

"Yeah," Nat said, and she linked her hand through Duo's.

As they walked up the steps, Duo caught Trowa looking over at him, a strange emotion of his face.

"You ready?" Duo asked softly.

"Of course." Trowa seemed to shake himself. He offered Duo a slight smile. "It's my job, after all."

There was something about the way he said it that made Duo frown.

Trowa led the way into the conference room, aware of Duo and Nathalie following closely behind him. However, as soon as he looked inside, he stopped short, causing Duo to run into his back.

The small conference table was already half filled – with a large man sitting at the head, a thin woman to his right, and two other women on the left. One of the women was dark skinned, with dark hair and eyes that reminded Duo of Nathalie. He had never met her before, but he instantly recognized her as Nat's mother. The other woman, however, was pale, with light brown hair and dark eyes obscured by glasses. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her lips were shaped into a smirk as her eyes met Trowa's.

"Trowa Barton, what a pleasant surprise."

"Counselor Une, I didn't realize that you were in family law now." She laughed, brittle and harsh, and it set Duo's teeth on edge.

"Oh no, this is simply a favor for an old friend. But you – I thought you wanted to join the ACLU and fight for poor, disenfranchised immigrants or something." Une smirked. "It looks as though _I'm_ doing that instead."

"Um, can we have reunions later?" Duo asked from behind Trowa.

"Sorry." He moved aside and allowed the two into the room.

Duo took a seat opposite of Une and Alima Fontaine, keeping the wide conference table between the two women and Natalie, who sat down on his left. Trowa sat on his right, and the judge at the head of the table cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm judge Snow – and this is Ms. Vern, with social services. We are here today to decide custody in the case of Miss Natalie Fontaine."

"And to discuss charges of abduction," Une added, with a sharp smile in Duo's direction. "Mr. Maxwell kept the child from her mother for a period of several days before even filing for temporary custody, and in all that time, the child has still been prevented from seeing her mother. Add to that the suspicious circumstances in which Mr. Maxwell…acquired the child. My client feels that it would be safest, for the child, if a restraining order were taken out against Mr. Maxwell, and a full criminal investigation begun."

Duo felt his jaw drop.

"What the –" Trowa's fingers dug into his knee, the grip like steel, and Duo shut his mouth to keep from crying out. He turned to glare at the man.

Trowa removed his hand, looking only slightly apologetic.

"While my client sees no reason to pursue charges of criminal negligence in the case of Mrs. Fontaine's treatment of Natalie, we would be happy to discuss and defuse any slanderous or libelous allegations against Mr. Maxwell. However, we are here today to determine what is in the best interests of Natalie Fontaine. If her mother sees this as an opportunity to extort money from my client, WE will begin criminal proceedings against _her_."

Despite the pain in his leg, and his anger at being treated like a child, Duo was impressed with Trowa, the icy steel in his voice, and the deliberate threats.

"Before we get our panties in a twist," the judge spoke, causing Nat's eyes to go round and Duo to look at him in shock, "we _should_ discuss the background of this case, and then decide how to proceed."

"Of course," Une agreed and pulled out a legal pad. It was clearly a prop, because during her recitation, she did not look at it once. "Mrs. Fontaine, 32, is a single mother and has raised the child on her own for the last six years. Mrs. Fontaine has steady, gainful employment, and manages a clean and safe environment for the child. Furthermore, she has seen to it that the child has regular school attendance, acceptable grades, and is enrolled in after school programs such as soccer. There is no evidence to suggest that the child has suffered any neglect, criminal or otherwise, in any police or social services records."

"While no official, municipal complaints have been filed," Trowa started in immediately, also not using the notebook in front of him, there are more than twelve instances, over the last three years, that the school has filed. Instances of prolonged periods of absence – never long enough to involve social services – instances of neglect in Natalie's nutrition and hygiene. Instances of physical abuse."

The look in Une's eyes could have melted Antartica.

"If such files exist – why on earth wasn't social services involved sooner?" Une asked sweetly.

"An excellent question," Vern murmured as she turned her attention to Trowa.

"Look, our school is for low-income families, we offer children the chance for fair, decent education. Some of those children come from troubled homes. If the situation merits it, we alert social services, but that's usually our last resort. We try to enroll families in counseling, try to intervene and help where we can." Duo explained, calmly, proud of the even tone of his voice.

"And is abduction one of your preferred methods of helping?" Une asked mildly.

"I didn't –"

"What I would like to know," Vern interrupted over Duo's near shout, "is why, if there were records of physical abuse, social services wasn't immediately alerted."

Duo sighed. "In both cases, Natalie claimed that it was her own fault – fell down the stairs or got pushed on the bus."

"And? Is there any evidence to suggest otherwise?"

"You mean aside from the fact that she's terrified of her mother and has spent the last two days begging me to send her back?" Duo challenged, infuriated by the calm, pleasant voice the social worker was using. As though they weren't discussing the future of a child.

"Natalie, has your mother ever hurt you?" Vern asked, directing the question to the girl who sat stiffly beside Duo.

"I won't go back," she said, instead of answering. Gone was the girl who had minutes before begged Duo to stay, and in her place was the hard, tough, terrified girl who Duo had found bloody and bruised all those weeks ago.

"Please, answer the question."

But Natalie looked at her mother, noticed the look of anger on his face, and her jaw snapped shut. It was clear to Duo that she would not answer that question, nor was she likely to answer any other questions.

"Look, maybe we could do this without Mrs. Fontaine in the room?" He suggested.

"My client is the child's mother. Questioning the child without her legal guardian is both unethical and illegal. Methods that _you_ –"

"She isn't going to be honest when she's afraid of getting punished for it!" Duo interrupted.

"Mr. Maxwell, if you don't calm down, we will have to continue these proceedings without YOUR presence." The judge said, scowling. It was clear that he had gone from slightly amused to majorly irritated.

"Mr. Maxwell, if Natalie won't confirm physical abuse, there is nothing we can do regarding that," Vern said.

"You say that Mrs. Fontaine has gainful employment, whereas our records indicate that she has failed to pay her monthly rent on time for five of the last eight months," Trowa spoke up.

"Mrs. Fontaine's priorities were clearly to provide food and clothing for her child," Une said.

"Interesting, considering that the school physicals all suggest that Natalie is underweight and malnourished. Add to that her most recent physical, given by Dr. Greenfeld only a few weeks ago. You will also note the reports of very recent, very violent abuse. One of Natalie's eyes was swollen shut, and her mouth so badly split it nearly needed stitches to repair."

"I hardly think that a renown plastic surgeon can be trusted to give pediatric evidence," Une smiled.

"On the contrary, Dr. Greenfeld – while yes, being one of the best plastic surgeons in the city – is also well known for his pro bono work, dealing with children suffering grievous injuries. His experience with children is quite sufficient." The look on Trowa's face was that of a shark. It was a side of him that Duo hadn't seen before, and it was kind of a turn on.

"And how were those injuries caused?" Une asked, directing her question to Natalie.

"Dunno." She shrugged and looked down at the table.

"Nat. I promised you, okay? But you gotta help me out here." Duo said.

She looked up at him, and was about to speak, but just then her mother erupted in a stream of language that Duo didn't understand. He knew it was French – but since Odin had despised the Romance Languages and forced he and Heero to learn Japanese, Mandarin, and Korean – he had no idea what she was saying. It was clear that Nat did, and that it wasn't an apology or her begging for forgiveness. It was also clear that both Une and Trowa understood what was being said. Une's face had gone pale and blank, and Trowa's fist tightened around his pen so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Enough," he said, cutting into her words. "If your client wishes to address Natalie, I suggest she do so in English, so that the judge and the social worker can be part of the conversation. Or, I would be HAPPY to serve as translator."

Trowa's voice was cold, and Duo fought the urge to shiver. Whatever Alima Fontaine had said, it had royally pissed him off.

"Perhaps you've forgotten some nuances of the language," Une said, "it's been a while since you've had to use French as a primary language. You have likely misinterpreted my client's genuine distress at this situation as something -"

"Then she can speak in Arabic. Oh? Don't know that one? Sorry that you won't be able to twist _those_ words around." The look on Trowa's face was, frankly, scary.

"English sounds good to me," the judge interrupted, clearly sensing the tension in the air. "Mrs. Fontaine, would you care to repeat your statement? In English?"

"No," the woman said shortly, still glaring at Natalie.

It was a long, tense moment of silence before Trowa spoke up again. "So, we have established that Mrs. Fontaine – whether or not she is gainfully employed – is not using said employment to see to the needs of her child. Furthermore, over the last year – the length of time Mrs. Fontaine has been at her current residence- there have been repeated complaints by neighbors as to noise violations. Neighbors have complained that Mrs. Fontaine entertains guests at all hours of the night, and that there are often 'violent sounding arguments' very late at night or early in the morning." Trowa looked up from the paper he had quoted. "Similar complaints were filed at the last five residences Mrs. Fontaine has occupied. Again, I think that these indicate that Mrs. Fontaine does NOT provide a stable, supporting, or safe environment for Natalie."

"I would be lying if I suggested that Mrs. Fontaine is the perfect mother," Une said, her voice lower and sympathetic. "But then, none of us is perfect. Mrs. Fontaine does struggle to make ends meet, and she does struggle to put food on the table. But she loves her child, and she is willing to go to any lengths to fight for her. Recently, Mrs. Fontaine has enrolled in a rehabilitation program, to sort through her issues, and to make connections that will ensure Natalie a better life. She is making efforts at moving in the right direction, and should not be punished for the mistakes of being human."

Trowa continued as though Une hadn't spoken. "Three weeks ago, Duo Maxwell found Natalie wondering in vanCordlandt park, alone, bloody and bruised, and wearing her school uniform. Since this was a Saturday, Mr. Maxwell was, understandably, concerned. When questioned, Natalie revealed that her mother had kicked her out of the house on Thursday night, and she had spent the next two days on the street, alone, homeless. Mr. Maxwell sought medical attention for the child, and took her home after Natalie refused to be taken to her mother's house, or to a shelter. I filed for temporary custody on Monday morning and it was granted. Mr. Maxwell has done nothing illegal, and while HE is not perfect, he has provided Natalie with the care, attention, and affection a child deserves. To suggest otherwise would be a lie."

"The fact is, Mr. Barton, your client used his wealth and influence to secure a temporary custody and completely circumvented the social services system. He has flouted authority and used his money to _buy_ a child."

This unleashed a new stream of French from Mrs. Fontaine, but her dark gaze was directed not at Natalie, but at Duo. He suspected that she wasn't complimenting him on his wardrobe.

Trowa interrupted after what felt like a lifetime of meeting that baleful glare, speaking French in harsh, clipped tones that took any romance out of the language. He paused, drew in a deep breath, and then continued in English.

"You have no right to sit there, to say those things, and then _pretend_ that you want what is best for Natalie." His voice was dark, no longer even and cold, but filled with emotion. "No." He said when Une moved to interrupt. "Duo Maxwell is a good man, and he has done _nothing_ wrong. If he wanted to abuse his station in life, then he would have paid off a judge to grant him full custody. He certainly has the money to do it. He wants what is best for Natalie. He has no ulterior or nefarious motives. He has been a school teacher for years, and assessments indicate that he is exceptional at motivating and caring for his students. His relationship with Natalie is an extension of that. He wants to shelter her and nurture her. The fact that you don't understand that just indicates what sort of mother you really are." He took a deep breath. "Counselor Une, if you don't translate what your client just said, I will."

It was several long heartbeaks before Une spoke.

"Perhaps, Ms. Vern, my client, still in rehab, is not in a place to provide the child with the best home. However, my client, the _mother_ of the girl, has just expressed severe reservations about Mr. Maxwell's ability to parent a child. Surely you – and Judge Snow – would agree that a foster home would be the best place for the child, until a resolution can be reached?"

"No," Duo said. "She has a home. Right now."

"Mr. Maxwell, despite the fact that you have, in fact, broken no laws, you did circumvent the system. And you are _not_ an approved foster parent."

Beside Duo, Natalie had tensed, everyone of her muscles seeming to strain to put her into motion. Duo knew that she was preparing to flee. He himself was entertaining thoughts of getting them onto a plane and running away. Argentina, he decided, they didn't extradite.

"Not yet," Trowa agreed, his tone back to being cold and even. "I think you will find that Mr. Maxwell is prepared to do whatever he can to ensure that Natalie is where she wants to be. Where she needs to be."

Vern fixed Duo with an intense look.

"Do you really think that you can provide a ten year old girl with the proper home? That you would be better than approved foster parents?"

"Yes!"

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Because I've been there. I was adopted. I was _in_ foster care. Nat doesn't deserve that. She's too good for that. To get shuffled around in the system, sent from home to home with no one to love her. She's a brilliant kid. If she had the chance to focus on her schoolwork, she could be a genius. She won't get that in a foster home. She deserves this chance."

Both Trowa and Vern were looking at him when he finished the speech. That same strange look was back in Trowa's eyes, and Vern's were narrowed in consideration.

"What are your feelings regarding Natalie? Is she just another student? Another pupil?"

Duo swallowed hard and looked down at the girl beside him.

"No, she's not just a student. I want to protect her, and I do want to teach her. I want to – hell, I want to give her the world."

"You love her," Vern concluded, most of the suspicion gone from her face.

"Yeah. Of course I do. She's the best." As soon as he said it, Duo knew it was unspeakably lame. But Vern smiled slightly and exchanged a look with the judge. He nodded.

"Well, in that case, we'll extend temporary custody for now. Mr. Maxwell, pending approval from social services, Miss Fontaine will continue to reside in your home and you will serve as her, temporary, legal guardian. Home visits by social services are to be conducted every two weeks, and Mr. Maxwell will undergo the screening process for approval as a foster parent. In three months, we will meet again and discuss the progress that Mrs. Fontaine has made in her own life, and what is in the best interests of Miss Fontaine." He nodded and stood up, signaling an end to the session.

With grumbling, Une and Mrs. Fontaine both left, but only after Une had given Trowa a long, meaningful look.

"Mr. Maxwell, " Vern spoke up just as Duo started to stand. "I would like to have a formal interview with you, now, to begin the process.

"Er, I've got to get Nat to school and –" the look on her face told him that excuses were earning him no points. "I guess Trowa could take her to school. " He looked over, and Trowa nodded.

Duo turned back to Natalie.

"You okay?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, her eyes were big, but most of the fear was gone from them.

"I get to stay?" She asked.

"Yeah, you do."

"But only for three months."

"No, for good. In three months, we just meet again to make it formal, okay?" He waited until she nodded back at him. "Now, I gotta stay here and talk to this lady – will you be okay, going with Trowa?"

She looked past him to Trowa and nodded, a smirk on her face.

"What?" Duo asked, smiling back at the look.

Natalie leaned in close. "He told Mere to fuck off! He said –"

The man in question cleared his throat, and Natalie stopped talking. But the look she gave him was filled with admiration.

Duo chuckled.

"Looks like you've got a fan club."

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"Call me when you are done here. I will take Natalie to school, and then see how the board meeting went."

Duo winced, remembering the other reason why today was a disaster.

"Right. Yeah. Okay. See you tonight!" He told Natalie.

They left, and he was alone with Ms. Vern.

"So... where do we start?" Duo flopped back down into a chair. "I like long walks on the beach and –"

"Mr. Maxwell."

"Duo, please call me Duo." He tried his most charming smile on her.

"Then please, call me Felicity."

"Er, okay."

"Duo, it is clear to me that you care a great deal for Natalie. And, as your lawyer stated, you are an exceptional teacher. But that does not mean that you will, or can be, an exceptional parent. It is my job to find out if you can provide Natalie with the home, the love, and the attention that she needs. You may view me as the enemy, but I am not. Not hers."

"Okay." Duo started to feel that the victory they had just won was a long way from winning the war.

* * *

Two hours later, Duo was finally released from the interrogation. It had been grueling, embarrassing, and incredibly frustrating. But, at the end, Felicity hadn't called the cops and demanded that they remove Natalie from his care, so, he decided, that was something.

He left the courthouse and called Trowa as he walked to the car. He answered on the third ring.

"How did it go?"

Duo smiled slightly at the sound of his voice, glad that it was back to Trowa's usual, rich baritone.

"Okay. Tough. But okay."

"Good. She interrogated you about everything, didn't she?"

"From what I ate to where I shop," Duo forced a laugh. "She asked a lot of questions about work, and that's going to be tricky. I need to talk to Heero about that."

"Anything else that concerned you?" Trowa asked.

Duo could have told him about the line of questioning into his 'adult relationships,' as Felicity put it, but something stopped him. It had not been pleasant, as Duo recited the list of his last five relationships, the length of them and the amount of time his partners had spent at his residence, he had realized that, without any conscious thought on his part, he had allowed Trowa to see far more of his personal life than anyone else in over a year.

While Heero, and no doubt Wufei, believed that Duo had a string of men that he jumped to whenever the mood struck him, Duo had early on learned that meaningless sex was just that, and it often turned around to bite you in the ass.

The Yuys were an intensely private family, and getting reported in a gossip column was tantamount to being accused of a murder. When Duo had first been in college, finally free of his restricted life in New York, he had made the mistake of partying very hard, and had paid for it dearly when a photographer had tried to blackmail Odin for several hundred thousand dollars over photos of Duo engaged in very nefarious activities. The photographer had actually been the partner of said activities, and Duo the personal betrayal, coupled with Odin's disappointment, had taught Duo to be extremely cautious.

As a result, Duo avoided the club scene, and found it challenging to meet men that he felt were worth the effort and the risk of opening up to. Often, Duo would try to hide or obscure his identity, and the relationships almost always ended when he was found out – usually not more than two weeks into one, because Duo was terrible at lying. Duo hardly ever invited men back to his own apartment – because it was usually a giveaway that he wasn't just some math teacher at a school for underprivileged kids in the Bronx. The men who did get invited home were ones who lasted past the month marker – Duo's magic number for opening up and actually admitting who he was. It wasn't until he dated someone for a month, told them who he was, and had them NOT try to screw him over that he actually considered it a relationship. These relationships were few and far between, and it had been several months since Duo had even been on a date with someone before he met Trowa. The fact that Trowa had already spent two nights at Duo's house was something of a record. The fact that Trowa knew who Duo was made it even more complicated.

The fact that Heero and Wufei still saw him as the dumb kid who was photographed giving a guy a blow job, and constantly criticized his relationships and choices in men just made it irritating.

"No, nothing else. Just, ah, stuff. Anyway. I'm on my way over – see you soon."

"Duo."

There was something about the tone of Trowa's voice that stopped him.

"Trowa." He tried to inject the exact opposite tone into his own voice.

"You are going to be an amazing father," Trowa said.

The simple statement made Duo's throat tight.

"Yeah, well, uh, thanks."

Trowa hung up, which Duo was grateful for, even if it left him with a less than smooth last line.

His drive over to Yuy Inc. headquarters took longer than he had anticipated, and by the time he arrived it was already mid-afternoon. He could just imagine the migraine that Heero was about to give him, lecturing on his priorities and dedication.

So he was surprised when he entered his brother's office and found Trowa, Heero, and Wufei clustered around a small coffee table, each with their suit jackets off and shirt sleeves rolled up, going over paperwork. As soon as he entered, Heero jumped up and crossed the room.

Duo expected to see anger, but instead, Heero's face was…calm. He grabbed Duo in a hug.

"Congratulations." Heero said as he released him.

"Ah, thanks."

Duo could count on one hand the number of hugs – this one included – that Heero had ever given him. He looked over and saw Trowa smirking, and wondered if he had anything to do with it.

"Don't screw it up," Wufei advised.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, thanks for the advice." He grabbed a chair, shed his own coat and tie, and joined them at the table.

"So…what's up?" He asked as he flopped down in a chair.

"We need to discuss the board meeting, and Treize –"

"Wait, I'm sorry to interrupt, but something happened this morning that I think affects all of that," Trowa interrupted Heero.

"At the custody hearing?" Wufei asked incredulously.

"The lawyer representing Nathalie's mother was an old acquaintance of mine."

"Really?" Heero asked, smirking slightly.

"Not like that," Trowa said, giving him a stern look.

Duo wondered what they were talking about, but kept silent.

"I interned at her law firm as a first year. I spent three months as her personal slave. She was – she IS – an incredible lawyer. In law school, she had two of her professors fired and disbarred for sexual harassment, just because she was bored."

"So, aside from establishing the fact that you know everyone, what does this have to do with anything?" Wufei asked, his snarky self fully intact.

"My point is that she is an amazing lawyer, and I'd heard that she was working for some billionaire, covering up his tracks dealing with all sorts of illegal activities. She's not the type of lawyer that Alima Fontaine could have afforded. "

"Pro Bono work?" Heero suggested.

"She didn't seem the type," Duo said, shaking his head as he remembered the look the woman had given him as she left. Cold and predatory. "You're right, something's up with that – she wasn't….normal."

"No," Trowa agreed with a bitter laugh. "She never has been. It might not seem related, but, I can't shake the feeling that she is somehow involved in all of this mess."

"Hn." Heero looked thoughtful, and Duo felt a small spurt of resentment. If _he_ had suggested that she was connected, Heero would have blown him off. But Trowa says something and suddenly its plausible. He pushed the irritation aside.

"So, board meeting?" He tried to change the subject.

"Bad. Very, very bad. The board wants to remove you. Darlian was at the head of a coalition to remove you."

"What about the will? The company? Khushrenada?"

"Oh, don't worry, he brought up _all_ of that. Tried to suggest that it demonstrated a lack of trust in my abilities, as well as yours, and that maybe we should investigate what a merger would do to everyone's holdings. I talked them out of that – but the idea's been planted. It might come back to bite us again. But, most important, you need to be fired. Immediately." The bitterness in Heero's voice ate at Duo. He wasn't used to seeing his brother, the immovable Heero Yuy, at the edge of giving in to anything. Or anyone.

"Son of a bitch. Well – it doesn't matter anyway. They can't do anything about it. The only one who can actually remove me is you, and that's not going to happen." Duo said.

"No, it's not. But you need to convince them that you are capable, exceptional even. The board doesn't have enough power to replace you, but they have just enough to try to override every move and decision we try to make for the next year."

"Un-fucking believable. Look, Heero, bro, is there _any_ chance you could take one for the team and just fuck Relena? Just once?" Duo asked.

"NO," Heero answered with a glare.

"Sorry, it was worth asking. I mean, I hate Darlian as much as you – but I think that antagonizing him isn't going to help. Unless – wait, Dad's will – he said the structure had to remain in place, but Darlian's just a senior VP – did he mean those positions were also fixed? He couldn't have, right, because some of these guys might die, and no way Dad would have let a loophole like that happen…" Duo trailed off as he tried to think of ways they could force Darlian to resign. He knew the man couldn't be fired – not without facing a lawsuit – but if he could be convinced to resign or sell his shares, the problem could be solved.

"You can't fire him," Wufei said, stating a conclusion that Duo had already reached.

"Obviously. We need to do something, though. He's going to drive a wedge between the rest of the board and us until he forces us to give in and give the company to Treize."

"Why? He has to realize that Treize will turn on him as soon as that happens." Trowa pointed out.

Heero sighed. "I'll talk to him. We haven't been sailing in years, the weather should be pleasant enough this weekend."

"Is that the best idea?" Trowa asked.

"Yes. He's always liked me," Heero started to say.

"Not as much as Relena does," Duo muttered.

" _And_ he will be honest and relaxed, away from the office. I'll talk to him."

"So, you're going to talk to Darlian, Trowa's going to try and figure out what the Ice Bitch is after, Wufei's going to… just sit there and look hateful, and I'm going to charm the pants of the board. Good game plan."

"Do _not_ try to sleep with any of them," Heero said, and the warning in his voice made it clear that he believed Duo capable of it.

"Heero, are you kidding me? Some of those guys are hot – you know how I go for saggy old men."

"Really?" Trowa asked, smirking slightly.

"Well, s'not my usual thing, but I try to branch out," Duo grinned at him.

"Impress them with your business acumen and keep your affairs away from Yuy Inc. please."

"No sweat. I'm getting satisfaction elsewhere. So cool it – your precious old guys are safe from my lecherous ways."

Heero arched an eyebrow. "A new boy-toy of the month?"

This wasn't a conversation that Duo wanted to be having, especially not in front of Trowa, especially after the earlier interrogation from the social worker had forced him to think about just how quickly he was letting Trowa into his life.

"Dunno. This one might be a keeper. I'm thinking about bringing him to brunch this weekend." He said it more to irritate Heero than anything else. Although the idea of showing up with Trowa – the look on Heero's face – made him consider it momentarily.

"Do not parade one of your trashy men around in front of mother. At least you've been decent enough to keep them away from the family."

"Then how do you know they're so trashy?"

Heero gave him a look. "Duo. I remember the way you were in college."

"That was 10 years ago! I've grown up. I've changed."

"Really? Then who is this man you're seeing right now?"

"I've got to go and check on my father," Wufei interrupted suddenly and then abruptly fled.

Duo noticed that Trowa made no move to leave, and actually appeared to be curious about how Duo would answer the question.

"What's with all of the focus on me anyway? Is this about you? Who are you seeing these days?"

"No one. I'm a little busy at the moment." Heero growled.

"Yeah, well, I find the time. I mean – Trowa, you seeing anyone?"

"Yes," Trowa said.

"See, _he_ finds the time. You should get out more, just _try_ to pick up a guy."

"It isn't for a lack of trying," Heero said, with a significant look in Trowa's direction.

"Whoa, whoa. You've been giving me speeches about not using Yuy Inc. as a dating service but you –"

"Duo," Trowa said, a warning in his voice.

"I just want all of us to acknowledge that he likes you and I'm somehow not allowed to flirt with anyone who works here, but –"

"Yes, I like him. I acknowledge it. Now, can we make this even more awkward and unnecessary and let me state that, unlike you, I don't find it easy to approach men and 'pick up guys.' Trowa knows that I'm attracted to him, and he's – well, he's involved with someone else. I respect that, and we've managed to have a decent working relationship, despite that knowledge. But you just won't let anything be, will you? I _look_ at him and you have to go and be a complete asshole."

"You can't just _look_ at him like that!" Duo argued, wondering what Heero had been about to say before he stopped himself.

"I can't help it! And why does it matter to you?"

Duo opened his mouth, closed it and scowled at Heero.

"It's just hypocritical. You lecture me about not doing something and you've got the hots for your own lawyer."

"Who isn't just a piece of meat to be fought over," Trowa pointed out mildly.

Duo flushed.

"Right, no, I know. Sorry. Heero. I don't mean to give you a hard time. I'm just…on edge from this morning. Sorry. I, you know, you'll find the right guy. When the time's right. And, I won't bring my 'boy-toy' around to brunch. Scouts honor." He held two fingers up and waited until Heero nodded before he stood up.

"I, ah, hate to leave so soon – but Nat gets out of school soon and I'd like to pick her up today."

"Sure." Heero was looking at Trowa, and the look in his eyes made Duo want to say something he knew he would regret.

"Tro – mind if I call you later? Details about Nat?" He tried to keep his voice even.

Trowa looked up at him, a slight frown on his face, and his eyes unreadable.

"Can we discuss it tomorrow morning? When you get in? I need to catch up on the meeting, so I'll be here late."

"Ah, sure."

Duo left his lover alone with his brother, who was clearly dying to make a move on him, and went to pick up Natalie from school.

He forced himself to bury his anger, and his doubts, about the two of them. After all, Nat was his, and she was his family now. He needed to focus on her.

"So," he said, grinning back at her when she got into the car, a slight, sincerely happy smile on her face, "I figure it isn't every day that the courts decide I'm responsible enough to care for a juvenile delinquent. How about we celebrate?"

"Not with more of your French food?" She demanded, a look of disgust on her face.

"Nope. We'll go anywhere you want to."

"Ah – Ruby Tuesdays! In Time Square!"

As much as it crushed his soul to acquiesce to the demand, to spend too much money at a chain restaurant that was going to be filled with tourists, he nodded gamely and smiled. "You got it!"

"Is Trowa coming?" She asked it offhand, as though she didn't care either way.

"Naw, I thought this could be just me and you – unless do you want Sara to come?" He grinned, delighted at the mental image of the housekeeper at such a place.

"Yeah, that's cool." The look on her face told Duo that Nat was also picturing it.

"Alright, we'll run home and then we're off to celebrate."

* * *

TBC…

So, so, so sorry it took me this long to update. I hope there are people out there who still care….

Next up: Relationships can really, really suck.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Chapter 10**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter X**

As soon as Duo left, Heero buried his head in hands.

Trowa wondered if he should also leave, but Heero let out an explosive sigh.

"Fuck. I'm sorry." Heero looked up and fixed his dark gaze on Trowa. "I hate him sometimes."

Trowa felt his lips twitch into a smirk. "Sometimes? Then you're a better brother than I am. I love my sister, truly, but… there is no one on this planet who can infuriate me as quickly, or as much, as she can."

Heero let out a reluctant chuckle. "Yeah. Yes, exactly. God, sometimes I just…I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Trowa said, frowning slightly. It certainly wasn't Heero's fault that he and Duo were involved, and that Duo was, presumably, jealous of Heero's attraction to Trowa.

"No, not for him. For, ah, not maintaining a professional work environment." Heero smirked slightly, and Trowa chuckled at the complete lack of penitence on his face.

"Heero, I'm –"

"I know. I know. You're involved. And I'm sure he's an amazing guy, and I wish you every happiness. Well, that part isn't true. I hope he's rotten and you dump him."

The naked desire in Heero's gaze was unsettling. Especially when Trowa considered the fact that it was he, and not Duo, who was rotten. It was he, and not Duo, who had screwed his ex at a charity gala. It was he, and not Duo, who was constantly engaging in casual flirtation with the brother of the man he was dating.

"Your brother – as annoying as he is – he is a good person." Heero appeared slightly confused at the change in topic. "He was amazing this morning, fighting for Nathalie. She's lucky to have someone like that in her life."

"I know he's a good person. He always has been. It's why he was so set on teaching, why he always tried to get his Christmas and birthday presents donated to the orphanage he used to be in." Heero sounded both proud and exasperated.

"And he's trying – here," Trowa pointed out.

"Yes, he actually is. If he can convince the board… I know he CAN. It's just a matter of if he wants to."

"I think he does. He wants to honor your father's wishes."

"I know. I know." Heero stood up. "Look, why don't we go and get dinner, and then come back and finish up with this?" Heero gestured to the scattered papers on his desk.

"Good plan," Trowa said after a moment's hesitation. Eating lunch, and often dinner, with Heero had become routine, and he looked forward to the meals that combined work and good conversation. He wished, frequently, that Duo would – could join them. Could experience the side of Heero that Trowa was getting to know quite well.

They went to a Thai fusion restaurant, and were well into their main course before Heero turned the conversation to personal matters.

"What was it like for you, growing up? With your sister so much older, did you have to compete for attention from your parents?"

Trowa always found it difficult to talk about his parents, and it was an effort to swallow his food and answer Heero's question.

"Not really. My parents were dancers, but after my mother gave birth to me, they decided to retire and they moved to Portland and opened a dance studio. I grew up in that studio – so did Cathy. Our parents always had time for both of us, and it never felt as though I had to earn their attention." Trowa shrugged. "Maybe it was because we were so different in age – our needs were different. Just when I needed the most attention, Cathy was a teenager and wanted less. It was a balance, I guess."

"She seemed disappointed that you didn't become a dancer, too. What about them?"

"What about them?" Trowa repeated in confusion.

"Are they disappointed?"

"They're dead," Trowa said shortly, bitterly. Across from him, Heero sat down his chopsticks.

"I didn't realize. I'm sorry to bring it up."

"I was nine, Cathy just eighteen. She'd just started in the company at ABT – we'd all gone down to see her premier the week before, and then one night, my parents and I were driving home from the studio and just, out of nowhere, this kid runs an intersection and plows into the front of our car." Now that he had started, the entire thing spilled out, like blood from a wound. He found it hard to catch his breath as he continued. "The guy was just some rich kid, high on coke and drunk and speeding like there was no tomorrow. He was driving a Hummer and my Mom's sedan just couldn't compete with that. One minute we were driving, the next – I woke up in a hospital with broken ribs, a concussion, and a scar on my jaw. And no parents."

Heero's face was hard to read, but Trowa still wasn't done.

"The kid was fine – a few scratches and that was it. His family had political connections, and they didn't want this to get into the news cycle. So they paid off the local cops, and gave my sister one million dollars to never mention it again. And that was it for them – just, pay a fine and your mess goes away."

"Is that why you became a lawyer?"

"Partly, I think. I still remember him – THEIR lawyer. Christopher Kent. He acted as though he owned us, and he could do anything. As though my parents were nothing, and – I spent years of my childhood dreaming of becoming a lawyer and suing him, the family, everyone. I wanted revenge for what they did to us."

Heero was frowning slightly. "Corporate law?"

"I was in my final year of law school when I realized that not every rich asshole is an asshole. I was doing some volunteer work for an immigrant support organization when I met Michael Trant. He was – is – a big name in electronics."

"I know."

"Well, he was basically giving these people jobs and arranging for them to get visas and green cards. And it wasn't because they were even very good at what he hired them for – it was because they had children who were born in the States, but would get deported along with their parents if they didn't get jobs. He didn't do it for any benefit to himself – he just… he had power, and money, and he wanted to do good with it. He made me realize that not everyone is evil."

"And me?"

"Jury is still out on that one." Trowa smirked, appreciating that Heero was steering them back into a more neutral direction. "No, you are amazing. You really care about making a difference, and I'm honored to be able to work for you. With you, to make that happen."

"Can I ask – after your parents died, what did you and your sister do? Is that how you paid for law school?"

"No. I haven't touched a cent of that money, and neither has Catherine. For twenty years, it's just been sitting in a bank account. My parents were incredible dancers. They toured the world, and they saved all that they could. They invested it well, and their dance studio was a success. After they died, I moved to New York to live with Cathy. We lived modestly, but we managed, on her salary at the ballet. On our parents savings, I was able to go to Brown. I used student loans to pay for law school, because by that time Catherine had the twins, and wanted to open the studio – so we used the last of their savings to do that. Even then she didn't want to use that money. Everything we've done, we've done without that bribe. For a while, I liked to dream that I would hunt down that kid and shove every single dollar of that million down his throat."

"Have you thought about donating it?" Heero asked.

"We've talked about it – almost done it more than once. But, as much as we hate it – it's…well, it's all that's left of them, in a way."

Heero frowned, and Trowa realized that it probably didn't sound logical, or even very sane, to think about his parents in that sense, but it was how he felt.

"You've done a lot with your life. I'm sure your parents would be proud." Heero said after a moment of silence.

Trowa knew that, while his parents would have been pleased that he was successful in his career, they would have been disappointed and deeply hurt that he had given up on dance. Not just because it was the family business, but because it was something he had loved.

"I'm sure that your father was proud of you, as well," Trowa said. Heero frowned and made a noncommittal noise as he shrugged.

"Who knows what Odin really thought," Heero muttered, and that put an end to any personal discussions.

* * *

Friday passed quickly, and relatively quietly. Trowa was able to work, mostly uninterrupted, for the entire day. He knew that Duo had come in early and, since Heero had voiced no complaints about his brother at lunch, seemed to be devoting himself to making good on his promise to impress the board.

When Duo stepped in to Trowa's office at five, he looked exhausted and rumpled. His tie was a mess, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up haphazardly.

"Having fun yet?" Trowa asked, mildly amused.

"This place is a fucking nightmare," Duo muttered and threw himself into the chair across from Trowa.

"Worse than being surrounded by juvenile delinquents?" Trowa challenged.

"Ha. Those kids were angels. Give me snotty ten year olds any day over these arrogant assholes. God, I miss teaching."

While Trowa could imagine nothing worse than having to face children every day and try to get them to learn math, he was willing to imagine that, for Duo, this job probably was the worst thing he could imagine doing.

"Anyway – I know we had plans for tonight, but can we move that to tomorrow night? There's some movie out that Nat was complaining about, so I'm going to take her out tonight."

"Even if she doesn't want to see it?"

"You gotta understand the psychology of kids at this age, well, kids with her kind of issues. She's been saying for days – every time we see a trailer on tv – how stupid it looks, how gross it is, how it's for babies or whatever. The more she acts negatively about it, the more she really wants it. But, you know, she's not used to getting things she wants – so she tries to bury it, so that by the time she doesn't get it, she's no longer disappointed because she's almost convinced herself she never wanted it in the first place."

Trowa frowned, trying to imagine that. After his parents death, things had been financially tight, but if he ever needed something, or even really wanted it, Catherine always made sure he had it. He couldn't imagine having to hide what you actually wanted.

"Tomorrow night is fine," Trowa said.

"Awesome. I think I'll ask Sara to watch her and we can just hang at your place – after this marathon of princesses tonight I'll need some guy time."

"Do you want to go to a sports bar?" Trowa asked, amused.

"If you want – I'd be fine with naked guy time, personally." Duo winked and then pushed himself out of the chair. "See ya!" He waved jauntily and then left.

Trowa managed to work for another two hours before his cell phone started to vibrate.

Frowning, he picked it up and studied the number. It was local, but not one he knew.

"Trowa Barton," he answered cautiously.

"Trowa. I'm glad I caught you."

"Zechs." It was impossible not to recognize his voice, or the inflection he put on Trowa's name.

"I find myself bored and without plans for the evening. Do you have any suggestions for how to amuse myself?"

Trowa pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, forcing himself to find the fewest possible polite words to tell Zechs to fuck off.

"You've never had problems amusing yourself in the past. I'm sure you will figure out something."

"Dinner – at Nobu."

"No."

"No? Oh, do you have plans with Maxwell?"

"I simply don't want to have dinner with you," Trowa answered shortly.

"We can always skip the meal, if you prefer, and move on to more satisfactory pursuits." Zechs drawled the suggestion in a tone that nearly made Trowa shiver. He forced himself to remember just how much he truly did despise Zechs. Forced himself to remember that with him it was just sex, and then it was nothing. Forced himself to remember that Duo was amazing – in bed and out – and that he needed to stop messing up his own life by doing this.

"No."

"If you're playing hard to get –"

"I'm playing _done_. We broke up two years ago, and that's the end of it. I'm with someone else. I don't want to be with you."

"Which explains why you were so eager to get fucked on a table two nights ago. Your relationship must be very fulfilling. My apologies for trespassing."

"Zechs –"

"No, no. Surely Duo Maxwell is better than I am. Isn't he?"

"He's different."

"That isn't better."

"In bed? He's amazing, but he's not better. Out of it – there's no comparison. He's funny, he's smart, he's kind."

"I'm funny and smart."

"And cruel."

"Which you actually enjoy. Much more than you enjoy kindness. I wonder… if he is so amazing, why are you on the phone with me instead of with him?" Zechs' voice was filled with mirth, and it set Trowa's teeth on edge.

"Zechs, I'd like to move on. I have moved on. You don't even _like_ me – why are you putting so much effort into this?"

"I've always liked you, Trowa. You are an extraordinary lay."

"Zechs –"

"But it's more than that."

This was the first time that Trowa had ever heard that Zechs thought of him as more than a body to be used.

"Really?" He asked, filling the word with sarcasm.

"If you were just for sex – would I have taken you to company events? Would I have flown to Dubai and tried to get you to come back?"

Trowa smiled slightly at the memory of that last. At the time he hadn't been amused. He had been in Dubai for three days, and Quatre was still deeply affected by his father's death. For Trowa, who hadn't seen Quatre since they graduated from Brown, it had been amazing just to be near him again. When he had left after another late night spent working with Quatre, Trowa had arrived back at his hotel to find Zechs waiting for him. They had fought, had sex, and then not spoken again for three years.

"Zechs, you never wanted a relationship with me. You wanted…"

"A companion."

"Some of the times. Other times you wanted me to be invisible."

"No one is perfect, Trowa, or do you honestly think that Maxwell is?"

"Of course he isn't. But he at least tries to be better."

"Ah. Now I understand."

Zechs didn't elaborate, and after a moment of frustrated silence, Trowa gave in.

"What? What do you understand?"

"The appeal. You think I don't know you, Trowa, but I know you. Better than you know yourself. I understand your attractions, better than you do."

Trowa groaned.

"Please, I get enough psychoanalysis from my sister, I don't need it from _you_."

"Tell me, what is it that you find so damn appealing about Quatre Winner? His looks? His money? It certainly isn't his spine – that man lives at the whim of everyone in his life. So what – what was it about him that you love so much?"

Trowa frowned. He wanted to deny Zechs' words, but he could acknowledge that there was some truth to them. Quatre did bow to the demands of his family, his work, his religion. He put the needs and desires of everyone else above his own, and lived according to the conventions of those around him. It didn't make him a lesser man, in Trowa's mind, but it was certainly frustrating.

"He is the most generous person I have ever met. His heart is big enough to have compassion for everyone around him."

"Ah. So he pitied you and you gobbled it up. I see."

"No. He didn't –" Trowa stopped himself. Because it was true, when they had first met, Quatre HAD pitied Trowa. They had been assigned as roommates freshmen year, and Trowa had arrived at their dorm with a duffle bag of clothes, his backpack, and a box of his favorite books, CDs, and Red Sox memorabilia. Whereas Quatre had already filled their double with furniture, accessories, clothes, and an entertainment system that rivaled any Sony ad. The look in Quatre's eyes when he noticed that Trowa did not, in fact, have a moving van outside just waiting to be unloaded, was akin to the look he usually got when he was forced to tell people that his parents were dead.

"It wasn't like that."

"Hm. You worshipped him. You still do. You have to realize just how little it costs him to be generous – just how good it makes HIM feel to be so compassionate. No one has lived such a charmed life as him, of course it's easy for him to take care of other people."

"You're wrong about him. You're twisting everything to make him sound as manipulative as you are."

"Hm. Perhaps. Maybe he actually he is. Then, let's take me. Clearly your tastes have changed, but once upon a time there had to be something about me that you appreciated."

"This game is getting old," Trowa sighed.

"I'll help you out with this one. Aside from my obvious assets, you were attracted to me because of my confidence, my strength. I'm the opposite of your dear Quatre. I don't bow to the pressures of others – and I don't surrender to convention. All those things Winner lacks, I have in spades."

"What is your point?"

"My point is that you latch on to men who have key qualities that you envy, that you lack. You _wish_ you could be as compassionate as Winner, you _wish_ you could be as independent and confident as I am. You think that by being with someone like us, you become better. Really, though, it just makes you worse. Weaker. You're just trying to hide who _you_ really are. You don't want a relationship – you want the chance to worship. Which is why I find your attraction to Maxwell so fascinating. It took me a while to figure it out. He's interesting, I'll grant you that. Amazing body, good connections. But… let's see, what does Trowa Barton see in Duo Maxwell? Ah…well, that's the best part. You look at Duo Maxwell and you see the future. You see a well- adjusted, rich, openly gay man who is both compassionate AND confident, and you want that. You want to be that strong, that decent. You want to be someone who is good enough to give some immigrant kid a life of luxury. But you know that you aren't good enough. It's why you let me fuck you at his mother's party, and it's why you're going to come to my hotel tonight. Because you aren't Duo Maxwell, and you aren't even good enough to really _be_ with him. You're just a shell, Trowa, waiting to be filled up by whoever you're with. I always appreciated that – it kept complications out of our arrangement. Think about it, Trowa. If you really wanted a relationship with me – why didn't you just do something about it? If you really loved Winner, why do you keep letting him abandon you? I think it's –"

"We're done with this conversation. I'm not coming to your hotel, and I'd really appreciate it if you stay the fuck away from me." Without waiting for a response, Trowa ended the phone call. He tossed his cell onto the desk and glared at it.

He wished that he could hate Zechs because the man was wrong, but if Trowa was honest with himself, there was too much truth in what he had said for Trowa to shrug off as just vindictiveness.

It also sounded eerily similar to what Catherine had said to him weeks ago. He scowled at the thought. His sister knew him fairly well, and he had been with Zechs for more than two years. They knew him, and they understood him. Better than he understood himself, it seemed.

"Fuck." He scrubbed his face with his hands and then started to straighten his desk. Halfway through, he was struck with the desire to call Catherine.

She answered on the third ring.

"Trowa? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay… it's just, it's Friday night. And _you_ never call _me_."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was wondering if you had plans for tomorrow? I thought maybe I could spend some time with you and the kids."

Catherine was silent for a moment.

"Well... if you really want to spend time with them, I know they would love to go to the street festival tomorrow. It's a few blocks away – some carnival stuff, food, arts and crafts. They've been talking about it for weeks now."

"Sounds great."

"Good – why don't you come and pick them up at ten tomorrow?"

"What about you?"

"It isn't that I don't love you, Trowa, and that I don't miss you and wouldn't love the chance to spend the day with you."

"But you're using me as a free babysitter," Trowa concluding, smirking at her manipulation.

"If you must put it into those terms, then yes, that IS what I'm doing. And I really appreciate it. So will they."

"It'll be fun," Trowa assured her.

He had been looking forward to talking to her, but, he realized, it might actually be better to NOT talk about it for a while. Spending the day with his niece and nephew would be a nice break from thinking about himself.

* * *

Twenty hours later, he was wondering how he could have possibly been so stupid.

Luc and Lilly _seemed_ to be angelic kids, when in the constraints of their mother's watchful gaze, but the minute they left the apartment, all hell had broken loose. They gorged themselves on sugar and ran around like demons, he lost each of them at least twice, had to break up a fight between Luc and another boy who had stolen Lilly's candy apple, and then, of course, had spoiled them completely by buying every souvenir they requested.

When he finally dropped them back off with Catherine, he was exhausted and just wanted to collapse. It didn't help that the kids instantly turned charming again, hugging him and begging him to stay for dinner, and telling Catherine it had been the best day of their lives. Trowa couldn't decide if they were criminal masterminds or just amnesiacs. He was able to make his excuses and escape, however.

He had just gotten out of the shower when he heard his phone ring.

It was Duo.

"Hey – we still on for tonight?"

"Do you mind if we stay in?"

"No, that's cool. You sound beat – you okay?"

"I'm fine. I took my eight year old niece and nephew to a festival. It was six hours of hell."

"Haha. I mean, man, I feel for you."

"Whatever."

"So, I'll grab some takeout on my way over?"

"Sounds great."

"Sushi good?"

Trowa caught himself before agreeing to it.

"No, I hate sushi, actually."

"Oh. Huh. I thought you and Heero went to his favorite sushi place pretty often."

"I get veggie rolls. But I hate it. I hate the smell, the taste, everything."

"So… why do you go?" Duo sounded genuinely confused.

"He enjoys it."

"Right. But he enjoys other food too. It's not in your contract that you have to eat sushi just to make your boss happy. Tell him you don't like it – he'll start going somewhere else."

"It's not a problem."

"Okay." Duo didn't sound convinced. "So…something hot or something cold?"

"Hot, please."

"Alright – how do you feel about Indian?"

"I love it."

"Okay, that I can work with. I'll bring over a feast – just as soon as you tell me where you live."

Trowa gave him the address and then pulled on a pair of faded, well worn jeans and an even more faded and worn Red Sox shirt. He spent the next half hour cleaning, feeling like an idiot as he did so.

When his doorbell rang he opened it to reveal a grinning Duo holding up two brown bags that smelled like heaven. Trowa's stomach growled.

"Nice digs," Duo said as he came in and glanced around. "You really do support IKEA don't you?"

Trowa shrugged.

"I needed furniture."

"Huh. Yeah. So… where do you want these?" Duo gestured with the bags.

"Kitchen's this way." Trowa took the bags from Duo's hands and led him into the kitchen.

"Nice view," Duo commented, wandering past the kitchen to look out of the floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the balcony, and beyond that Lower Manhattan.

"Thanks. I thought so too. We can eat out there," Trowa nodded to the balcony.

"Great. It's nice weather for that. Uh, got anything to drink?"

"Check the fridge – I've got beer, milk, some orange juice, water."

"Beer sounds great – what do you want?" Duo asked, his head already in the fridge.

"The same."

Duo took the drinks outside and then returned to help Trowa assemble the food onto plates. It was quiet and companionable. It felt as if they had been doing the same routine for years, and not for the first time.

It wasn't until they were seated on the balcony and tearing into the fluffy naan that Duo pointed at Trowa's shirt.

"You know, I could complain about you wearing that, but it seems to me that you did it on purpose. So that I'd spill something on it and you'd have to take it off."

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"Or it was clean and after the day I've had, clean was the best I could go for."

"Still, you should probably take it off. Just to be safe."

"I'm not going to eat without my shirt on."

"No, it's no big deal. I'll do it too." Duo licked his fingers clean and then pulled off his own t-shirt. With a sigh, Trowa followed suit. "See, doesn't that feel better?"

"Why do I think you have some plan to have both of us naked in ten minutes?" Trowa asked.

"Because you know me?" Duo answered with a grin. "But I was actually going for fifteen minutes."

"This is delicious," Trowa said as he scooped up some lamb korma with the naan.

"Mmhmm. One of my favorite places. So… you have a niece and a nephew? How old are they?"

"Eight – twins."

"Huh, how old is your sister?"

"Thirty-eight in September."

"And they live here in the City?"

"Yeah, in Midtown. My sister has a dance studio near their apartment."

"Oh yeah, you know – she's probably one of the only women I've ever found attractive."

"That's my sister you're talking about."

Duo shrugged, unapologetic. "I'm just saying – you Bartons sure are good looking."

"We aim to please."

"So, in related things I don't know about you – you speak French?"

"Yes, and German – a bit of Spanish and Italian. Some handy curses in Russian. And Arabic."

"So, what did ole Mrs. Fontaine have to say the other day that got you so riled up?"

Trowa's jaw clenched at the memory. The woman had been full of hatred and anger towards her daughter and towards Duo. It had infuriated him that someone could actually feel those things towards their own child, and towards a man who was only trying to save a child's life.

"Nothing you need to hear. She's a vile woman, full of vile thoughts."

Duo shrugged. "Maybe. I dunno. She's had a rough life – been dealt a tough hand. She's a shit mom, no argument there, but… she's not evil. She's not, say, Treize Khushrenada, you know? She's just messed up."

Trowa shook his head. He found it slightly exasperating that Duo had sympathy for the woman. It reminded him of his conversation last night with Zechs.

"So… how do you feel about kids?" Duo asked, still steering the conversation into personal details.

Trowa frowned. "I love my niece and nephew. Nat is amazing. I don't want to become a school teacher."

"No, I mean… do you want to settle down? Raise a family?"

"Are you proposing?" Trowa tried to inject amusement into his voice.

"No, just trying to figure you out."

"Why the sudden need to?" Trowa asked, not to avoid the question, but out of curiosity.

Duo shrugged. "I dunno. Well, I had that interview with social worker the other day. It got me thinking, planning. And seriously – I'm not proposing. Just…trying to think of the future."

"I've never given it too much thought. I've never been with anyone who DID want that kind of future."

"Well, what about you? Do you want that kind of future?"

Trowa frowned as he considered the question.

"A family would be nice," Trowa finally concluded, trying to picture himself changing diapers or taking a child to kindergarten, or to little league practice. It wasn't too horrifying.

Duo grinned crookedly.

"Have you ever really thought about the future? About where you might be in five years? Ten?"

"No. Not really." Trowa had spent much of his life focused on short term goals – graduation from Brown, the Harvard. Aside from that, his one goal had been to be with Quatre. And that had failed rather spectacularly.

"Weird. I definitely would have figured you for the five year plan type."

"Like Stalin?"

"Well, not EXACTLY like Stalin. Just… you're a bit anal, in terms of organization, and I figured you'd have your plans for the future mapped out."

"What about you? Where do you see yourself in five years?" Trowa asked.

"In five years… well, I've had to change my plans a little recently. Used to be, by the time I was thirty-five I wanted to be married, have adopted at least one kid, finished renovation on the Brownstones, and helped the school expand. Now… well, NOW in five years I'll have to start bugging Nat about looking at colleges, and teach her how to drive… and I'd still like to be married, maybe adopt a baby. Get a dog."

"A dog?"

"Yeah. Mother is allergic – or claims to be, since she'd never even consider a poodle. I've always wanted one, but I… well, it's stupid." Duo scratched the back of his neck, and it looked as though he was blushing.

"What?" Trowa demanded.

"Nothing, I just… I thought it would be something I'd do with my husband, you know? To start a life together – we'd get a puppy, raise it, and then start on a family."

Trowa swallowed back a rising sense of doom. While Duo didn't have his future mapped out, he had clearly thought about it, and knew what he wanted. And it was clear that the man Duo wanted to share his life with needed to be together enough to be his partner in that.

It had been repeatedly made clear to Trowa that he was NOT partner material.

"I'm a cat person," Trowa murmured.

"That makes sense. I've got nothing against cats, though. Well – I don't care for the hairless ones that look like aliens." Duo shuddered. "Those things are freaky."

"I used to have a cat, in Paris, a stray that I started to feed and eventually coaxed inside."

"What happened to him?"

"I couldn't take him to Dubai – it's stupidly complicated to bring a pet into the country – so I gave him to my neighbor's daughter."

"Are you going to get another one?"

"My hours are a little unsettled to have a kitten alone in the apartment. I wouldn't be able to give it much attention."

"You could get an adult cat," Duo pointed out.

"True. Might shred my IKEA furniture, though."

"And what a shame that would be," Duo chuckled.

"Thank you for dinner," Trowa said after finished off the last piece of naan.

"No problem. So, what entertainment did you have planned for the evening?"

Trowa looked at his watch.

"Well, first pitch is in about ten minutes for the Yankees – Red Sox game. We could watch it."

"This sounds dangerous," Duo said.

Trowa smirked. "Only if you think you have a chance of winning." He gathered up their dishes and took them into the kitchen. Duo followed him and leaned against the counter, watching as Trowa rinsed them off and loaded them into the dishwasher.

"Are you okay? Aside from being run into the ground by your niece and nephew?" Duo seemed genuinely concerned, and it made Trowa feel guilty.

"Fine. Just tired." And filled with self-loathing went unspoken.

"Look, I'm sorry if Heero and I are irritating."

"It's my job to mediate between the two of you, it's not a problem. Although, would it be possible for you to stop giving your brother such a hard time about me?"

"Possible? Sure. But it's going to cost you." Duo was smiling broadly. He winked when Trowa looked up from the dishes.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Duo reached out and grabbed the waistband of Trowa's jeans and used it to pull him closer. "Some clothes, to start off with."

"You already have one of my suits."

"Well, I bought you a new one, so that doesn't really count. These need to come off." Duo started to undo the top button, and then the fly of Trowa's jeans. Once loose, he pushed them down Trowa's hips before kneeling in front of him and pulling them the rest of the way down and waiting while Trowa kicked them off.

"Commando? Nice choice." Duo smirked at Trowa's exposed penis. "Means it's going to cost you something else, though, since you don't have any more clothes." Duo sat back on his heels and looked over the length of Trowa's body. "God, you are amazing." Duo leaned in and guided Trowa into his mouth. He was still soft, but Duo's tongue and the hand stroking his balls quickly brought him to full erection. Duo hummed contentedly and Trowa groaned as he fisted his hands into Duo's hair. It wasn't long before Duo worked him up to the point of orgasm.

"Duo –" Trowa tried to pull back, but Duo's free hand clenched against his right hip and kept him in place.

"Fuck, Duo, I'm – Christ!" The orgasm felt as if it was drawn out of his very soul, it was so intense. When Duo released him, Trowa actually stumbled backwards.

"I know I'm good, but, ah, are you okay? Seriously?" The concern was back, and Trowa forced himself to pull it together.

"Yes, that was incredible."

"Well yeah." Duo smirked. "Now, you mentioned something about wanting to watch your precious Sox get crushed. Why don't we watch a few innings while I figure out what else I want from you in exchange for being nice to my brother?"

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"You realize that you don't need to blackmail me into having sex with you."

"Sure. But it's more fun this way."

Trowa shook his head but pulled his jeans back on. He felt more relaxed now, and he was grateful for that.

"Thank you." Trowa kissed Duo, tasting himself on the other man.

"My pleasure." Duo grinned.

They made it until the sixth inning, when the Red Sox scored four runs to break out of the 1-1 tie that had been the game since the second inning, and Duo grew exasperated with the Yankees. During the next commercial break Duo dragged Trowa into the bedroom and they spent the rest of the game having sex on the clean sheets Trowa had put on the bed that afternoon.

Afterwards, they lay in bed and Trowa tried to convince himself to get up to turn off the television.

"My Mother kidnapped Nat for the day, you know," Duo said around a yawn. "Wanted to do girl things with her and have her spend the night. I can only imagine the nightmares that kid must be having right now."

"Really?"

"No, I'm sure she had a great time. Celia probably took her shopping, got them manicures – maybe a massage. And now she's falling asleep to the sound of the ocean out at the Hamptons. That was always one of my favorite houses. I love the sound of the ocean, the smell of the salt. Anyway, I'm sure Nat had a great day."

"I'm sure she'll tell you all about it at brunch tomorrow."

"Yeah. And no doubt Mother has been quizzing her on life with me all day, too. Trying to figure out what kinds of debauchery I'm up to these days."

Trowa frowned as a thought occurred to him.

"I don't want Nathalie to have to lie about us," he said.

"Uh… I'm confused."

"If Celia asks her if you have guests over? She's going to say that I come over."

"Well. Shit. I didn't think about that. Fuck. Well, to be honest, it's probably better that we are honest about this – it's not healthy for her to have us conducting some affair that I'm keeping a secret from my family."

"Duo, Heero can't know that we've been dating."

"I don't want Nat to lie, either, so we've got a problem here." Duo no longer appeared sleepy, and Trowa's own fatigue was starting to slip away. "Besides, he's a big boy – he can take it."

"No he can't. This isn't – he's wants to trust you. He's actually starting too. If we tell him that we've been together this whole time, that trust is gone. And right now, that trust is the only chance you two have to keep this company together."

"Well, what the hell do you suggest, then?"

Trowa drew in a deep breath. The future, what he needed to do, was suddenly very clear.

"We should end this. Nat needs you, and Heero needs you. I'm just coming between you and both of them. This isn't…healthy, as you said. You're building a life, and you're helping your brother preserve your father's legacy. I'm standing in the way."

"What – what are you _talking_ about?" Duo seemed furious. "You are _helping_ me and Heero preserve Dad's fucking legacy. And Nat is my priority right now, no doubt about that, but she likes you. And so do I."

"I don't see how it can work. We should have never done this in the first place."

"Trowa –"

"You have a plan, Duo. You have a five year plan and it's a good one. I don't. A month ago, my only plans for the future revolved around Quatre Winner." Trowa shook his head. "Since college, all of my plans have revolved around him. There was never a five year plan, never even a five _month_ plan. I just…wanted to be in his life. That was it for me. And now – I'm half the world away, working for someone else and in a relationship with you. It's completely beyond the scope of anything I've ever thought of. I'm not – I _can't_ be who you want to do this with." By the end, Trowa couldn't look at Duo, couldn't stand even thinking about the way Duo must be looking at him.

"Huh." Duo said. Silence stretched between them for several long moments. " Well, I should probably get a start on those plans of mine and head out of here," Duo said, his voice so controlled that Trowa almost missed the thread of anger.

"It's better this way," Trowa assured him.

"Right, well, I just need to say one thing, just to get it out of my system." Duo rose from the bed and pulled on his clothes. He finished dressing and then stood at the foot of the bed, staring at Trowa until he looked up to meet his gaze. "You're an idiot. For someone so fucking brilliant, you, Trowa Barton, are a fucking idiot." Duo shook his head, started to say something else, and then shrugged. "Whatever. Okay. Fine. We'll do this your way."

A moment later, Trowa heard the slam of his front door. It was hours later before he finally made himself turn off the television and lock the front door.

He knew it was the right thing to do. He _knew_ that Duo would find someone better. He _knew_ that he could move on. Somehow.

* * *

Up Next: Another day in Heero's life

* * *

 

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

* * *

**Chapter 11: Chapter 11**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

**A Little Less Normal: Chapter XI**

It had been two weeks since the last disastrous board meeting when Darlian had tried to convince the board to turn over Yuy Inc. to Khushrenada. The two weeks had been surprisingly peaceful.

Heero was finally making headway with his plans to turn Yuy Inc. into a leading power in sustainability research and development. The company was slowly taking small steps to move the bulk of their assets into that market. Duo had actually put forth several proposals that did just that, while at the same time lining the pockets of the board members with enough profit that they had enthusiastically agreed to his plans. Darlian remained resentful, and tried to intervene whenever possible to delay the plans, but Duo was slowly charming the board into trusting him.

It was a relief for Heero, not only because it allowed him to focus his attention on other things, but because Duo was no longer antagonizing him at every turn. His focus seemed to have shifted away from razzing Heero and flirting with Trowa to getting his job done. Even outside of work, Duo had been more tolerable. Ever since he had been granted custody of Nathalie, Celia insisted on having everyone out to the Hamptons for Sunday brunch and a family dinner on Wednesday nights. As much as she never appreciated the role of mother, she was embracing that of grandmother. Heero wondered if, all this time, Celia had really just been desperate for a daughter. It wasn't so much that Duo was a different person now, but he was less intense when he did get into arguments with Heero, and he seemed to devote more of his time and energy to planning for the future.

The next Sunday, after brunch, Celia encouraged Duo and Heero to stay for a few hours and make use of the tennis court while she took Nathalie shopping. Heero found it interesting that whenever Celia demanded one on one time with her, Nathalie would look at Celia with a mixture of affection and fear – as though she appreciated the attention, but was terrified of making a mistake that would result in punishment.

It had been years since the two of them had played on the court, and Heero felt a sense of nostalgia as they stepped onto the red clay court.

"Been a while, huh?" Duo said, his lips turned upwards. "I don't think we've played on this court since college."

"Don't worry, I still remember the cracked spot you love to serve into," Heero nodded at the divot in the clay a few feet from his side of the net. Duo had taken ruthless advantage of that spot for as long as it had existed.

"Ah, I can beat you without it anyway," Duo smirked back.

"Prove it," Heero challenged just before he served the ball.

The game went quickly – as any competition between the two of them did – but it was enjoyable. The taunts they traded were light, and Heero could almost imagine that they were back in college. Except that, by the end, Heero felt more winded than he would have ten years ago.

"Good game," Duo said as they left the court. Heero was perversely pleased that Duo was breathing a little harder than he was.

"We should play more often," Heero commented, frowning slightly when he realized he meant it.

"You like defeat that much?" Duo joked.

Heero rolled his eyes.

"You barely won – and besides – look at yourself. Do you exercise at all?"

It was Duo's turn to roll his eyes.

"I don't run a marathon every morning like you, bro. But I try to stay limber. I have a great workout for that, you know, it requires a partner, but it's –" Duo stopped talking and ducked the tennis ball Heero threw at his head.

"You should start using the gym at the office. You aren't going to be thirty forever."

" Chill out, _Mother_. I've got a stationary bike at home that I bike ten miles on every morning. I'm fine."

"We used to run together, in high school."

"We used to _race_ in high school. We're something like the world's worst running partners. And my left knee isn't so great, so I keep to the bike these days."

Heero had forgotten about Duo's knee and the ligament tears he had suffered his senior year of high school during a baseball game.

"You okay?" Heero asked, nodding back at the court.

"I'm not an invalid. I just don't like to pound the concrete like you do. Which, let me say, you're going to regret when you need knee replacements in four years. You should use that fancy indoor track at the office."

"I'll keep that in mind, _Mother_."

Duo chuckled to have it thrown back at him.

"Walk on the beach?" Duo suggested.

Heero nodded and followed him through the dunes and onto the beach. It was late spring, and the horizon was gray with the clouds of a distant storm, the waves small and choppy.

"Thank you," Heero said after several minutes of companionable silence.

Duo slanted a look at him.

"You're welcome?"

"These past few weeks – you've been amazing at work. I really appreciate it. I knew you could be, I just didn't think you would _do_ it. I don't know what changed, but I'm grateful that you're trying."

Duo scowled.

"Yeah, well, this is what Dad wanted us to do. Old man always got his way, so I figured there was no point fighting it."

"I'm sorry you had to quit your job." And Heero actually was. Duo had created a life for himself, doing what he wanted to, and Heero – and Odin – had forced him to abandon it.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry for being pissed off at you for the last three years," Duo muttered.

Heero arched an eyebrow.

"Only the last three?"

"Whatever. No, you _know_ I should have kept in touch with you more. I should have, I dunno, visited you or something. I mean, hell, you were in Macau for three years!"

"I remember."

"It wasn't right for Dad to ship you off like that, and it wasn't right for me to just… let it go. I should have done something."

"Duo, it wasn't – I don't know. There wasn't anything you could have done. Or even should have done. I'm glad it gave you the chance to get out, but, it _was_ my mistake. My fault."

"The hell it was – Dad's the one who trusted that bastard."

"And I'm the one who slept with him and believed him when he said that Odin was getting too old and losing sight of the future. I was such an idiot." Even now, three years later, it was hard for Heero to look back on his mistakes and not feel self-loathing.

"Well, you were young."

"I was twenty-seven. Not that young."

"Well, you always were kind of stupid."

"Thanks." Heero punched Duo in the shoulder.

"I'm just saying – it wasn't entirely your fault. Yeah, you got swept up in the charm of Treize Khushrenada, aristocrat and European asshole extraordinaire. Dad should have tried to talk to you and work things out instead of just giving you the boot."

"I tried to take over his own company."

"Which he eventually wanted you to do anyway. Look, I'm not saying what you did was right, but it wasn't the worst thing ever. God, I remember you saying that you wanted to _marry_ that fucker. That just blew Dad's mind.'

Heero frowned as a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Duo, I realized pretty quickly after that that Khushrenada was just using me to gain control of Yuy Inc."

"I know. I, ah, sort of eavesdropped on your breakup at the office."

"Thanks. But I'm saying – I _thought_ I loved him, but as soon as I realized, I was done. Over him."

"Yeah. I know." Duo repeated.

"But did Odin?"

Duo frowned as he considered that.

"Holy shit." Duo stopped walking as he let that sink in.

"It's crazy, right? Odin would never –" Heero was interrupted by Duo swearing again.

"Holy _fucking_ shit. Son of a bitch. It makes perfect fucking sense now. Jesus. Fuck. Why didn't I realize this was what he fucking planned?" Duo's hands were tangled in his own hair. He looked exasperated and furious. It would have been an amusing look, under different circumstances. "Dad thought you still loved him. Dad was trying to…fuck, Dad was trying to let you go. He was trying to apologize."

"A phone call would have been better," Heero muttered.

"Shit. All this time I thought he was just trying to fuck with you – _shit_."

Heero allowed himself a smirk as he sat down on the beach. Duo flopped down beside him.

"Well? How about it? I'll confess my eternal devotion to Treize, give him Yuy Inc., and you can go back to being a school teacher."

"Fuck that. I want to bury that bastard for what he did to you, and to Wufei. Besides, do YOU want to give the company to him? I thought you had all these dreams for how to change the world."

"Don't you want to go back to your own dreams for changing the world? One math student at a time?" Heero challenged.

"Eh. I can wait a year. But, seriously, Heero, think about this. This is actually a chance for you to get out. Actually out. You could be done with the company. You could go… put up a tent somewhere in the desert and I don't know, research global warming. Or you could run some real marathons… or, I dunno, go out on a d _ate_ with someone who isn't a crazy asshole trying to destroy the world."

It was said in a joking tone, but Heero considered it. This was a chance for him to do whatever he wanted. He could fight for this company – his father's legacy – or he could let it go.

"I don't want out," he concluded after a few minutes spent staring out at the water.

"Alright then. We'll stick with the plan. Which reminds me, crushing Khushrenada _is_ part of the plan, right?"

"Yes, it definitely is."

"Good, cuz I really hate that bastard."

"Duo?"

"Heero?"

"How is it so easy for you to pick up guys?"

"Have you met me?" Duo smirked. "I'm handsome, intelligent, handsome, charming, really handsome, and –"

"I'm serious. You've never had problems finding guys."

"Well, I _try_."

Heero frowned. "I don't understand."

"Heero – you're my brother, and I love you, but sometimes… . Look, you spend ALL of your time at the office. You always have – when we were kids, you always had a list of priorities, and your social life was always dead last. I used to wonder why you even bothered to come out because you never even went out on dates with _anyone_."

"It's important to focus on work, to get things settled and moving in the right direction."

"Sure, of course it is. But you know, one day – maybe soon, maybe in a long time – you're going to die. And if you've spent your entire life just getting things settled… I worry that you're going to miss out on having fun."

"I'd like more than to just have _fun_ with someone."

"Me too – but you gotta start somewhere."

"You said you're dating someone right now – how did you meet him?"

Duo's shoulders tensed and he looked away.

"I, ah, ran into him on the street, actually. It was a few weeks ago – when you asked me to come in to the office and sign some stuff, back before the reading of the will."

"The day I interviewed Trowa."

Duo shrugged. "Sure. Well, I was walking and I ran into this guy, spilled his coffee all over his suit. I'm talking doused him in boiling hot coffee. But he didn't flip out and start yelling at me, and he was hot. AND he liked my cholera joke." Duo smiled at that, shook his head, and kept going. "So I convinced him to let me buy him a new suit, and then convinced him to grab drinks with me that night. We just…hit it off." The frown on Duo's face seemed to imply otherwise.

"Then why are you frowning?"

"Oh. Ah, we broke up a few weeks ago, actually. So, you know – I'm not a great role model for relationships."

Heero snorted a laugh. It had seemed that since the age of fifteen, Duo had been in and out of a new relationship every week.

"He lasted a long time, compared to some of the others."

Duo frowned.

"You have this idea that I just jump into bed with any guy I meet."

"Don't you?" Heero asked, somewhat amused by Duo's denial. He still remembered Duo's disastrous affair with the tabloid photographer his freshman year of college.

"No. I don't. I grew up, you know. I don't want a trashy guy of the month – I haven't since I was nineteen."

Heero frowned, considering. He never would have pegged Duo for the type to adopt a troubled ten year old – not because he didn't care about her, but because Heero still pictured Duo as his annoying little brother who managed to charm a date out of every guy that Heero had ever been interested in and too intimidated to ask out.

"I guess you did grow up," Heero conceded.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. I did. We should probably head back, that storm's getting closer."

Heero stood and held out a hand to help Duo up. Duo accepted with a smirk that had Heero planting his feet firmly.

"So suspicious," Duo chuckled as he brushed sand off of his pants.

They were almost back to the house when Duo started to grin, and Heero instantly put himself on guard.

"What?" He asked suspiciously.

"Just a plan. You and I are going out and we're going to get you a date."

"Duo –"

"No, no. I insist. And this is great timing – one of the galleries we – er, I – own has a show opening tomorrow night. We're going."

"And it's bound to be filled with eligible, gay men? What is it, a collection of male nudes?" Heero scoffed.

Duo chuckled. "Close. It's actually a sports photographer – and his theme is the body in motion. So, yeah, I'm pretty confident there will be some eligible gay men there."

"I've got work."

"Heero. You're coming. I'm CEO of Yuy Inc, and I'm giving you the night off."

"I'm the _president_ , I outrank you."

"Yeah, well – I'll tell Mom that you're practically living out of the office."

Heero's eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me," Duo challenged, an edge to his smirk.

Heero did not want or need his mother involved in his personal life, which is exactly what she would do if she suspected he didn't have one.

"What time?" He finally sighed.

" I'll swing by the office and pick you up at eight-thirty."

"What about Nathalie?"

"Well obviously she's coming too – kid needs to learn how to use a decent pick up line."

Heero turned to him in horror.

"Kidding. Jeez. Sara will keep an eye on her. And you can't wear a suit – make sure you bring a change of clothes with you."

"Duo, I do know how to dress for social occasions. Our mother raised me too. But this –"

"Don't even think of backing out on me. I will hunt you down – and if necessary, I will hand deliver a naked, eligible gay man to your desk with a bow around him. But you ARE coming with me tomorrow night."

Heero shrugged.

"You win."

"I know." Duo grinned widely. "Alright, I'm going to rescue the kid and we're off. See you tomorrow morning."

"See you," Heero called to Duo's retreating back.

He remained on the back terrace, staring out into the sea as the storm clouds continued to gather.

"Darling, come in before it starts to rain," Celia said as she joined him there a few minutes later.

"I will. Were you able to spoil Nathalie in the two hours we gave you?" Heero asked.

Celia smiled.

"I can spoil that child in ten minutes. But this wasn't about her, actually. I took her shopping to get Duo's birthday present."

Heero frowned, and then remembered – Duo's birthday was next Saturday.

"I forgot."

"Well, now you've remembered. We will be having a small affair here, Saturday afternoon."

"The cookout?" Heero asked in amusement.

"Of course. You know Duo. Oh, I sent an invitation – but please do remind Trowa that he is invited."

"I will."

"Such a lovely young man – and his sister is a dear. I do hope he makes it."

Heero frowned, wondering why his mother cared that much. She brought Trowa up every once in a while, seemingly trying to bait either Heero or Duo into showing interest. At first it had seemed as though she was exclusively plotting to fix Trowa up with Heero, but recently she had taken to including Duo in discussions on the lawyers assets.

"I'm sure he will try. He likes Duo." Or at least, he had. Now that Heero thought about it, things had certainly chilled between the two. Trowa was still polite and still tried to mediate any arguments between them, but Duo no longer tried to flirt or joke with him. Heero wondered what had happened there.

"Hm? Yes, I think he does, too." Celia gave him a slight smile and a kiss on the cheek. "Well, you should head back into the city before the storm arrives. I will see you on Wednesday night."

Heero took the dismissal with good grace. His mother had always been independent, and when she wanted you to leave it was best to do so.

He spent the drive back into Manhattan going over paperwork for tomorrow, and mentally cataloguing options for Duo's birthday present.

* * *

Even though he had spent most of the day trying to think of excuses to get out of going, by eight on Monday night Heero had accepted the fact that he would have to go, and had changed into more casual clothes.

He had put on his jeans and was halfway through buttoning up his black dress shirt when Trowa entered his office.

"I finished going over the Macau liquidation papers, everything looks – oh. Sorry." Trowa had entered with his head down, looking over a stack of papers in his hand, but then he looked up and took in Heero's attire.

"No, it's fine. I, ah, Duo and I are going out." Heero felt ridiculous explaining, but the speculative look on Trowa's face made him want to.

"Hm. You look good."

Heero grinned slightly.

"Hopefully Duo will approve. He's intent on us carousing tonight."

"Heero Yuy, carousing on a Monday night?" Trowa joked. He perched on the arm of one of the chairs in the office and watched in obvious amusement as Heero put his shoes back on.

"Not my idea. Duo is intent on setting me up and proving that the Yuy charm is still strong," he growled. "Oh – Mother wanted me to remind you about Duo's birthday party on Saturday."

Trowa seemed to tense.

"I'm not sure I can make it. I told my sister I would spend the day with her and her kids."

"Bring them."

Trowa seemed taken aback.

"It's a cookout, out at the Hamptons. Just a small party – and Mother likes your sister. Plus, aren't her children around Nathalie's age? I'm sure she would like some company."

"I don't want to impose."

"You won't be." Trowa still looked unsure. "And I need you there so you can run interference between me and Relena."

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"I see."

"That is, unless you are just trying to avoid spending time with my brother."

Trowa's head came up and his eyes narrowed.

"I'm not."

"Hm. These past two weeks – your relationship with him has changed. He doesn't flirt with you anymore – did something happen?" Heero wondered if Duo had asked Trowa out and been shot down. That could explain the sudden coolness, but even then, Heero wondered.

Trowa shrugged. "He's become more intense and focused here at the office."

"As intense and focused as he is, Duo ALWAYS makes time to flirt with attractive men," Heero pointed out.

"I'll ask Catherine if she would like to bring the kids on Saturday."

It was a rather obvious dodge, but Heero let it go. His curiosity was piqued, however, and he decided to figure out what had happened between the two.

"Yo – ready to roll?"

Duo had arrived and Heero looked over at him. Duo was dressed in black jeans and a blue v-neck sweater, a white undershirt underneath it just showing at the neck. He looked very casual, and effortlessly good-looking. His ability to do so had long frustrated Heero. He noticed Trowa also admiring his brother.

"You look good," Duo said with a nod of approval. He looked over at Trowa and then back at Heero without commenting. "I'm glad I made you promise to go out, you work too much. Let's go."

Trowa smirked at the look of bewilderment on Heero's face.

"Have fun." He said as he put his papers on Heero's desk.

"You could come with us," Heero said, hit with sudden inspiration. If he had to suffer through Duo trying to set him up with strangers, at least he could have a friend to suffer with him.

"No, I've got plans," Trowa said almost instantly.

"On a Monday night?" Heero joked.

Trowa smiled weakly.

"Yeah. See you both tomorrow."

"What is going on between you two?" Heero demanded as soon as Trowa was gone.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Duo said.

"You don't flirt with him anymore."

"I thought you didn't want me to," Duo argued with a scowl.

"You don't even look at him anymore – or talk to him."

"I look at him, it's fucking impossible not to," Duo muttered. "Just – drop it. Okay? I maybe pushed too far with him and so things are going to be awkward between us for a while. He's still doing a great job as your lawyer, so let it go."

Heero took in Duo's tense posture and the hands he had shoved into his jeans pockets. It was Duo's classic defensive pose, and Heero knew he wouldn't get anything else out of his brother.

"Ready?" Heero asked, offering a truce.

"Born ready," Duo smirked and seemed to shrug off the earlier tension. "So, important things for you to do tonight – number one: have a good time. Number two: don't think about work. If I notice you doing it, even once, I'm calling Mom. Number three: be cool. I've seen you try to pick up guys before, and you get all tense and weird. It's like you don't realize how awesome you are."

"I'm awesome?" Heero repeated, amused.

"Well, yeah. Some of me MUST have rubbed off on you after all these years." Duo smirked. "But seriously, bro, you are HEERO YUY. You're rich, your successful, you've actually got decent taste in clothes, you're smart, you can be funny, you CAN be charming, and you're hot. You could have any guy you want."

Heero seriously doubted that – knew it, in fact, to be false.

"There are other guys besides Trowa Barton," Duo said in a strange tone.

"I wasn't –"

"Look, I know you're attracted to him. And obviously, he's attractive. But, I don't know, he just might not be the guy for you." Duo said.

"He's involved with someone," Heero said, trying to ignore Duo's logic.

"He is?" Duo asked.

"Yes, you know that. He's been with someone since his first week here."

Duo was now frowning, and Heero rolled his eyes.

"Don't tell me you're actually attracted to him, too. I thought this was just some hobby for you that you had finally outgrown."

"What? Oh, yeah. Sure." Duo seemed distracted as he waved down a cab, and Heero decided to abandon the conversation. It seemed that each of them struggled with just how to deal with Trowa.

They arrived at the gallery half an hour after nine, and Heero was surprised to see just how full it was.

"I've never been here," he confessed, taking in the décor and the large, steel etched sign over the entrance that read _Nova Gallery_.

"Yeah, this is something I started working on a few years ago – after you were already in Macau. Above the gallery there's some studio spaces and some residential spaces – I lease it out to young or new artists who need a jump start. Makes for some pretty interesting shows. This guy – the artist – personal favorite of mine. I actually think you'll enjoy the art."

When they entered, Duo was almost immediately swarmed by a crowd of people. Heero watched as his brother greeted them seemed to forget all about him. Shaking his head, Heero turned away and decided to actually look at the art. If he was lucky, Duo wouldn't even remember his original goal of setting Heero up, and he could actually try to enjoy himself.

Duo had been right about one thing – Heero did enjoy the art. Duo had said that the theme was the human body in motion, but, ironically, every photograph was a still image, taken with an athlete poised to move, muscles coiled and and a look of intense focus on their face. Heero did a loop of the gallery and then found himself coming back to look at one in particular. It was a color photograph, with a saturated filter that intensified the sparse color palette. A young, tan male was poised to serve a tennis ball, but the ball, and his arms were out of the frame. Instead, the focus was on his face, looking upwards, his mouth curved into a slight from, sweat streaking down from his hair, his eyes dark and full of some powerful emotion.

"This is my favorite," a voice said.

Heero turned, startled. He had been so focused on looking at the photograph that he hadn't heard anyone approach.

Standing just to his right was a man near Heero's own height, with brown hair and intense blue eyes. His face was tan and filled with strong lines. He was handsome, but not in the breathtaking way that Trowa was. And he was wearing a suit. Heero's lips twitched at that. He wondered what Duo would think of the man, daring to wear corporate attire in such a bohemian atmosphere.

"It's riveting," Heero agreed, turning back to the work.

"It's the eyes – every time I look at him I wonder, what's he thinking? Is he afraid? Nervous? Excited?"

"I like that you can't tell," Heero said. "It's interesting – his body is so sculpted and perfect, yet his eyes – those are very human. Not perfect at all."

"Are you a tennis fan?" The man asked.

Heero shrugged. "A play a little, but I don't follow it. I prefer baseball." Heero nodded across the gallery at another photograph that had captured his eye. It was a large black and white photograph of a base runner, leading off of first. The man's torso and legs framed the shot, but the focus was on his hands, dangling between his legs, absolutely still and yet somehow vibrating with energy. "I love the moment captured in that one. You can almost hear his heartbeat. It's amazing how much energy there is in it considering that there is no movement."

"So you're a fan of the artist?" The man seemed amused.

Heero shrugged. "I don't even know who he is. But there isn't a single photograph in here that I don't want to look at again, so, I suppose I am."

"Hey – found you!" Duo arrived and threw an arm around Heero's shoulders. "And look, you've made a friend." Duo winked at the man Heero had been talking to.

"I was looking at the art, and enjoying a conversation with someone else who appreciated it," Heero corrected.

Duo chuckled.

"I'd hope he appreciates it. He devotes his life to it after all."

Heero frowned, confused. The man blushed and held out a hand.

"I should have introduced myself. I'm Ralph Kurt. These are, ah, mine."

"Heero Yuy." He shook the other man's hand. "I'm a fan of yours."

Ralph chuckled, but didn't seem to react to hearing Heero's name.

"Well, I can see that I'm not needed here. But, Ralph, congrats on a great show – this looks amazing, and I'm going to need to talk to your agent about getting a few pieces." Duo winked, squeezed Heero's shoulder, and left them.

"I want to apologize. I'm not normally the kind of artist who likes to go around and solicit praise. I just – you were captivating, looking at this, and I had to find out why."

"I was _captivated_ ," Heero corrected, "your work really is amazing."

"So are you. I'm sorry – that's not at all subtle. But I mean it. I watched you looking at this for five minutes before I came over. You are so intense, even standing still. At first, I couldn't figure out if you hated the photo or loved it."

There was open admiration in Ralph's clear blue eyes and Heero wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Ralph chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm a social disaster. My shrink tells me that's why I hide behind a camera – because terrible at interacting with the rest of humanity. So, to change the subject – how do you know Duo?"

"He's my brother. And you aren't the only one who is a social disaster. He actually brought me here tonight intent on setting me up. He thinks that I need help finding guys to ask out."

"Do you?" Ralph asked.

"I work long hours and I don't find it easy to meet new people."

Ralph nodded. "You seem to be doing okay right now, though."

Heero found himself smiling back at Ralph. "So is this your first show? Duo said that he brought in new and young artists here."

"No, actually. Once upon a time, I was one of those new, young artists. Duo gave me my first show here, two years ago, and the art director from Sports Illustrated was here. He was impressed and now I'm a staff photographer for them. I do a show here once a year, though, whenever there's an opening. It's usually a pretty interesting crowd."

"Definitely." Heero looked around at the collection of people. Growing up, he had been raised to value and appreciate fine art, but usually he got out of going to galleries, auctions, and the theatre. Duo had been Celia's designated partner for those events, while Heero managed to escape to baseball games with his father instead.

"Duo said you had an agent?"

"Yes, actually she's the gallery manager – Duo introduced us back at my first show and she took me on. Sylvia Noventa. She's around somewhere."

"I'll have to find her before I leave. I'd love to have a few of these."

Ralph blinked.

"An instant collector? You must like them."

Heero shrugged. "I do. And I've never actually bought a piece of art before. Duo always got dragged to these things, growing up."

"Dragged?" Ralph asked in amusement.

"When I was ten, I would have had to be dragged. But, now, I don't know. It was nice to look at these pieces, to think about them. To meet you."

"And it was nice to meet you as well," Ralph grinned. "Look, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Well, I've been ordered to pick up a hot guy, but aside from that I'm not busy."

"Then if I fit the bill, do you want to get out of here? Grab a few drinks?"

"Shouldn't you stay? It's your opening, after all."

"Actually, I hate openings – I'm happy for them, and excited to see people appreciate the work, but it feels like the end of something, at the same time. All of the months that go into prepping for it and then it's just – done. I don't usually come to one of my own openings. But Duo called me this morning and made me promise to come. I think now I know why."

Heero shook his head and looked for his brother. He saw Duo standing in front of the photograph of the baseball player that Heero had admired.

"I'd love to," Heero said, "but would you introduce me to Sylvia first?"

"Sure. Let's see – there she is." Ralph led Heero over to where a thin blonde woman who eerily resembled Relena was sipping a glass of wine and speaking to someone who appeared to be a reporter, since the man was scribbling on a pad as she spoke.

"Sylvia, I've got a collector here just dying to purchase a few pieces," Ralph said.

Sylvia looked up and smirked. She kissed Ralph on the cheek.

"That's wonderful, darling. Hm – and such good timing. Why don't you speak to Matthew here? He's from the _Times_ , and I'll talk to Mr…?"

"Yuy. Heero Yuy."

Sylvia's eyes lit up. She obviously knew who he was.

"Wonderful. Ralph, be nice." She gave him a serious look and then hooked her arm through Heero's and guided him away.

"Which piece – or pieces? – are you interested in?"

"Two of them – the tennis piece and the baseball one."

Sylvia looked amused.

"You are aware that they have titles, aren't you?"

"I didn't look at that – I was too focused on the photographs, I guess."

"That's all right. Let's see. The tennis piece, you said? Ah, yes, Freefall. And the other… Commitment."

"Commitment?" Heero echoed, frowning slightly.

"Ralph has a sense of irony, sometimes. But, I'm fairly confident that my boss wants to take that one home." She nodded to where Duo was still standing in front of the baseball photograph, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the gallery.

Heero suspected she was right.

"What if I told you he would wind up with it anyway?"

Sylvia smiled.

"Do you have a card? I can call and have the pieces delivered tomorrow."

"Thank you." Heero pulled a card out of his wallet and handed it to her. "Payment?"

"We'll arrange the details tomorrow." She looked over his shoulder. "I can tell that Ralph is anxious to escape, so I won't keep you any longer."

Heero followed her gaze and saw Ralph still talking to the reporter, but his gaze was focused on Heero. He smiled when he saw Heero looking at him, and Heero found himself smiling in return.

"Thanks," he said to Sylvia, absently, and started to walk towards Ralph.

"Ready to escape?" Ralph asked.

"Lead on," Heero said, amused by the other man's desire to leave.

Once outside, Ralph set out at a fairly brisk pace and Heero dropped into step beside him.

"So…you said you were a baseball fan. Let me guess…where are you from?"

"Born and raised here," Heero said, amused that Ralph had no idea who he was, and also relieved. It might be nice to become involved with someone who wasn't part of his world, who didn't already have his connections or concerns.

"Hm… So you're either a Yankees fan or, because your father was, you've become a Red Sox fan," Ralph concluded.

"My father WAS a Yankees fan, but so I am. My best memories of growing up are of going to games with him."

"And Duo?" Ralph asked.

"No." Heero sighed. "Duo might be more of a Yankees fan than I am, but… we have an interesting relationship. For years, he actually pretended to hate baseball and refused to go to a game – so, instead, he and my mother did the more artistic things. It wasn't until we were in college that he and I went to a game. That might be one of my best memories of time spent with him." It had been a World Series game back in 2001, only a few months after September 11th, and Derek Jeter – who, apparently, they had both worshipped and fantasized about – made his amazing catch behind home plate to keep the series alive.

"Why did he pretend?" Ralph looked as confused as Heero had been.

"Turns out, my brother is an amazing person. He knew how much I loved going to the games with Odin – our father – and he didn't want to come between that. Duo and I used to compete over everything, and attention from our father was what we competed for the most."

"But he let you win?"

"Just with baseball." Heero shrugged. "At the time I just thought he was an idiot for bad mouthing the Yankees. You know, one Christmas he actually asked for a Red Sox hoodie? He wore that thing around for almost a month. He memorized the stats for all of their players and he used to constantly pick fights with me over how badly the Yankees were playing." Heero shook his head. "He was such a pain in the ass."

"What happened to the hoodie?"

"I don't know. He stopped wearing it, eventually, but I don't know what ever happened to it."

"So, there's a great bar across the street," Ralph said, nodding in the direction, "or."

"Or?"

"Or I've got drinks back at my place. No live band, but I've got some decent playlists on my iTunes."

Heero smirked.

"Live music is overrated," he said.

"I completely agree." Ralph smirked and waved down a cab.

They climbed inside and Ralph gave directions to the driver.

"So, as a sports photographer, you have to enjoy sports?" Heero asked.

"It would sure suck if I didn't. I grew up in Montana, so I never got too attached to any one team or one sport. But I can admire the Yankees, and the Red Sox, for that matter."

"How did you get started with photography?"

"College. I had to take an art class to fulfill some general education requirement and I managed to get a slot in one of the photography courses – I'm pretty awful at drawing, so it was a lucky thing for me – and I was hooked immediately.'

"Ever miss Montana?"

"In the summer, but I've never been good at staying in one place for too long. I love to travel, so this job is perfect for me. What about you – die hard Manhattanite?"

"I enjoy traveling, but this is definitely my home town. I just spent three years in Macau and I can't tell you how good it is to be back."

"Macau? Wow. What do you do? For a living? Or do you? I assume you and Duo are independently wealthy – I've never meet a school teacher who could afford to own a gallery and lease studio space for no net profit."

"I work –worked for our father."

"Past tense?"

"He died a little over a month ago."

Ralph winced.

"I'm sorry. That must be rough. Did you get to see him before he passed?"

"No. But my mother and Duo were with him."

"Well, on that somber note – here we are."

Heero followed Ralph out of the cab and into the apartment building. It was modest, and once they entered Ralph's apartment, Heero started to get a grasp for just how small apartments could be in New York City.

The apartment had an open floor plan, with nothing but the couch separating the bedroom from the main living area. The kitchen was off to one side, with a dining area running parallel. It was decorated sparsely but well, and Heero liked the feel of it almost instantly.

"Home sweet home," Ralph said with a smirk as he closed and locked the door behind them. "Can I get you something?"

"Yeah." Heero closed the space between them and kissed him.

Ralph responded instantly, threading his fingers into Heero's hair and pulling him closer. Heero appreciated the size of Ralph and how well their bodies fit together – they were the same height and of a very similar build.

He ran his hands up to Ralph's shoulders and pushed his jacket down his arms just as Ralph's tongue darted into his mouth.

"I guess the drinks can wait," Ralph said with a chuckle as he pulled back from Heero.

"Definitely," Heero agreed and kissed him again.

There was little talking from that point forward. They worked together to undress, and by the time they were naked Ralph had steered them towards the bed.

The feel of his skin under Heero's hands was electric. He didn't know if it was because it had been so long since he had been with someone, or if Ralph really did feel that good. Either way, Heero relished the chance to explore the toned body of the other man, and he took his time, discovering sensitive spots with first his fingers and then his tongue and teeth.

He was stroking Ralph's erection while simultaneously teasing his anus, enjoying having the other man writhe under him when a phone started to ring.

"Ugh – sorry, I need to get that." Ralph rolled away and went in search of his phone, lost amidst the trail of clothes they had shed.

Heero was amused by the sight, but his amusement started to wane when Ralph answered the phone.

"What's up babe? No, no, I'm not busy. Just working on a few things."

Willing himself not to jump to conclusions, Heero listened to the one sided conversation with growing dread.

"Okay, okay. I miss you too. No, no – I'm in Hawaii next week, I'll be back in Miami the week after. No, I will definitely clear out my schedule so we can have some time. Yeah, me too."

Ralph hung up the phone and then turned back to Heero with a smirk.

"Sorry about that, where were we?"

"Who was that?" Heero asked.

"Oh – ah, friend of mine."

"A friend?"

"Well, more than a friend." Ralph shrugged and offered a crooked smile.

" _How_ much more than a friend?" Heero asked, already knowing where this was headed.

"Look, we have an open relationship – I hook up with guys when I'm not there, and I'm sure he does too."

Heero sighed and scooted over to one side of the bed. He started to collect his clothes.

"I'm serious – he's okay with this."

"I'm not," Heero muttered, not caring whether or not Ralph heard him.

"Stop acting like such a girl – it's just sex."

Heero was in the middle of pulling on his boxers when Ralph said that. He took his time pulling them up the rest of the way.

"I'm not a fan of open relationships, and if 'he' was really okay with this, you wouldn't have lied about what you were doing."

"Again, I thought we were just here to have fun."

"I think we have different definitions of fun," Heero said. He put on his jeans and stepped into his shoes, not caring about his socks. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on, buttoning it as he walked to the door.

"Don't take this personally, but you managed to ruin two really good pieces of art for me," Heero said and then slammed the door shut behind himself.

Angry and filled with adrenaline, Heero took the steps down and then started to walk. He had gone several dozen blocks before he managed to calm himself down.

While it was getting late, he didn't want to go home to his empty apartment anytime soon, and he wasn't in the right frame of mind to get any work done. With a sigh, he pulled out his cell and called his best friend.

"Everything okay?" Wufei answered.

Heero rolled his eyes.

"Yes, fine."

"No work emergencies? Did you finally kill Duo and you need help burying the body?"

"Not tonight. Are you busy?"

"Ah… no. Just looking over some paperwork, but I wouldn't mind a distraction."

"Good. I want to get drunk."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll explain. Meet me at McClaren's in twenty minutes."

"Now I know something's wrong. You swore never to go back there after the last time you got shit faced trying to out-drink Duo."

"Just, meet me there."

"Okay. See you in twenty minutes."

It took a little less than twenty minutes for Heero to reach the bar, but when he arrived Wufei was already there, seated at a corner booth, a full pitcher and two empty glasses waiting.

"Good man," Heero said as he sat and instantly started to pour.

"What did Duo do now?" Wufei asked as he poured himself a drink.

"It wasn't really his fault. Well, actually, it almost _entirely_ is his fault." Heero proceeded to tell Wufei the entire scenario that had occurred.

By the end, Wufei was scowling, and a great deal of the pitcher was empty.

"You know, as much of a tool as this guy is, you _did_ go to his apartment after having known him for all of half an hour," Wufei pointed out. "If you wanted to begin a committed relationship with someone, you should have tried to get to know him better, first. If all you wanted was sex – well, that's definitely what he was offering. And just that."

Heero frowned. "True. If _felt_ right. He was…different." It sounded lame, and Heero was starting to think that the entire night's fiasco was actually his own doing.

"Statistically speaking, having sex before the third date will severely limit the longevity of the relationship."

"You know, there's a reason that I consider you my friend. I can't remember it right now, but I'm sure it will come to me…"

Wufei rolled his eyes. "I'm your friend because you appreciate honesty. No question, the guy was worthless – but you didn't put yourself in a position to get what you want, need, or deserve."

"And just what _do_ I want, need, and deserve?" Heero mused, finishing off his beer and signaling the waitress to bring another pitcher.

"Someone better than him, obviously. Someone who values you – and actually knows _who_ you are. Someone who can make you laugh, and make you think. Who supports you when you need it and challenges you."

"Yes, but he's taken," Heero groused, thinking of Trowa.

Wufei's gaze narrowed. "I don't understand your fixation with him. You and Duo both – he's just a man."

"You aren't gay, you don't understand. And he's – not just a man." Heero was being consistently reminded that he and his brother were attracted to the same man, and it was starting to wear thin. Especially since Trowa was completely unavailable to either of them.

Heero noticed that Wufei's shoulders had tensed, and he prepared himself for another lecture.

"I do understand – better than you. Have you considered that the reason you are so obsessed with him is simply because you _can't_ have him?"

"I was attracted to him before I knew he was involved," Heero pointed out.

"Yes, but it was manageable before."

"It's manageable now."

"Really?" Wufei looked completely unconvinced.

"What is your point?" Heero sighed.

"My point is that you _like_ that he's unattainable. You _like_ having that carrot dangling in front of you. I bet that if he broke up with his boyfriend, you would either lose all interest OR you'd destroy any chance at a relationship with him almost instantly. You've got serious commitment issues."

"I – I have commitment issues? I'm not divorced!"

Wufei's face closed down instantly.

"I am well aware of that fact. If you don't want me to say what's on my mind, then don't call me this late and ask me to go out drinking."

Wufei started to leave.

"Wait. I'm sorry." Heero sighed. "I – you're right. I do have commitment issues. And Duo's right too – I do need to get out more. And yes, there are other men besides Trowa Barton. I know. I know."

Wufei reluctantly sat back down.

"You are my best friend. My only friend, actually. Because you know me. And as much as I need that, sometimes I don't like someone else knowing me that well, not when I don't like me much as it is."

Wufei sighed.

"Heero –"

"No, it's fine. You know, I don't think I want to get drunk after all. Do you want to share a cab?"

Wufei shook his head in exasperation.

"Sure."

Heero left enough to cover their bill and they headed back out to the street.

"One more painfully true statement?" Wufei asked.

"Go on, you've done as much damage as you possibly could already."

"You need a vacation. Take the weekend off and get out of the city. Get out of the country, even."

Heero laughed.

"I can't. It's Duo's birthday on Saturday."

"Shit. I forgot. I'll have to get the idiot something, I suppose."

Heero rolled his eyes.

"When has he ever not given you a present?"

Wufei scowled.

"Why is it that he can be such a good person _and_ be so annoying at the same time?"

"Just the universe trying to keep balance," Heero muttered. "Which is probably why I'm doomed to have zero success in my personal life – with corporate success comes no meaningful relationships."

"Stop wallowing in self-pity," Wufei ordered as he pushed him into the cab that had finally pulled over.

"Thanks for not letting me," Heero said, meaning it. While it might have been nice to indulge, it wasn't in his nature, and he was grateful that Wufei had screwed his head back on.

"Anytime. Now, let's get you home."

"What are you going to do with the photographs?" Wufei asked as they neared Heero's apartment.

"I'm giving one to Duo for his birthday. The other was for you – if you still want it."

Wufei looked taken aback.

"You bought me art? No, you just don't want to look at it."

"No, it was my intention from the start. It reminds me of you, actually. I didn't realize it at the time – I knew that you would like it – but now I know why. Just, don't tell Duo want happened, okay?"

"So I have to live with tainted art but he doesn't?"

"You don't have to keep it."

"I'll keep it," Wufei insisted. "I appreciate that you thought of me." He paussed. "You don't think I could give it to Duo for his birthday, do you?"

Heero punched him lightly on the arm.

"No, I don't. Get him something from _you_. How is your father?" Heero asked, to change the subject.

"Not good, but at least he isn't in the hospital anymore. He just sits at home, staring, it's like he isn't even there anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault. And I know that we will force Treize to pay for what he did."

"We will," Heero agreed.

* * *

(Sorry for the sort of awkward end… this chapter just kept going!)

Next up: Duo's birthday!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Chapter 12**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A Little Less Normal

**Chapter XII**

Thirty was looming ever closer, and Duo forced himself not to think about the milestone birthday on Saturday. Tried to force himself, but ended up failing miserably.

When he and Heero had been younger they had each listed off what they wanted to accomplish before they turned thirty – which, at the age of ten, had seemed like the end of their lives. Duo barely remembered the lists they had assembled. He knew that they had both wanted to be professional athletes, but of course, that wasn't in the cards for either of them. But the rest of the list completely eluded him. He had started thinking about it on Monday, but by Wednesday he was no closer to remembering. Eventually, he gave in and went to find Heero.

Predictably his older brother was in his office, buried in paperwork. Duo took a minute to look at the mess before he spoke. Heero was scowling, and if his eyes had been guns, the papers in front of him would be dead. It was times like this that Duo wondered why Heero bothered with this. For Duo, this was what nearly every minute felt like – and he couldn't wait until his time here was done every day. But for Heero – surely there was something about it he enjoyed? Why else would he torture himself like this.

"Hey," he finally spoke up.

Heero looked up and Duo actually saw his shoulders slump. He fought the urge to roll his eyes or start screaming. He knew that Heero and Ralph had not, despite initial appearances, hit it off. Heero had said nothing to him, but the fact that Ralph had called Duo yesterday to apologize and beg him not to let what happened with Heero affect _their_ personal relationship put Duo on the alert. Duo wasn't sure what had happened, but it had obviously been a disaster. And it seemed that Heero was still head over heels for Trowa.

Which wouldn't be an issue, if Duo wasn't also crazy about the idiot. He sighed.

"You remember when we were kids – like ten – and made those stupid lists of things to do before we were thirty?"

Heero frowned as he concentrated, and Duo took the opening to enter the office and sit down.

"Not really. I'm pretty sure we both missed the mark on just about everything. I never played first base for the Yankees." Heero smiled ruefully.

"Yeah, and I never became the next Agasi. But – I know there was like a ton of stuff. I just don't remember what it was."

"Nothing important. Stupid things – wait, I think you said something about wanting to visit every country in the world."

"Missed the mark on that one too," Duo muttered.

"And… well, here's one you did. Remember that you wanted to break into the Louvre and see the underground storage?"

Duo couldn't help but chuckle. "And the summer I was fifteen we were in Paris and you dared me to do it."

"And you did, you crazy bastard. You almost got yourself killed, too."

"Mother was _so_ pissed – and Dad – jeez, he went through the roof. It was worth it, though." Duo grinned as he recalled the rooms of treasures he had only caught a glimpse of before being apprehended.

"Any regrets?" Heero asked.

"Huh?"

"Well, you turn thirty in four days. Neither of us remember the list that well, but it's safe to say that you didn't get much on it accomplished."

"Yeah. I dunno. That's what I've been thinking about this week. I mean – if I had turned thirty _last_ year, it would have been great. I would have said that I was exactly on track in my life."

"Your five year plan." Heero taunted.

"Hey, don't knock it. It was a good plan."

"Was?"

"Yeah, well, kind of had to take a detour, you know?"

"No. You've just mixed up the order a little. You've got the kid – and you finished renovating the Brownstones. Now you just need a husband and a dog. No one ever said you had to do it in a certain order."

Duo knew that Heero genuinely loved him, but it was still rare that Heero showed that affection by offering him comfort or wisdom. Their relationship was simply too complicated.

"I hadn't thought about it like that," Duo admitted.

"Well, no one ever accused you of being the smart one," Heero murmured, back to his old self.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah well, thanks, bro. Oh – I forgot. I need you to pick up Nat and take her to Mother's for dinner tonight."

"Why can't you?"

"I've got a dinner meeting with Zechs Merquise."

"What?" It wasn't just confusion in Heero's face. There was definitely anger.

"Chill. I told you I'd been looking into some of our subsidiaries and wasn't impressed with their PR. Merquise is looking to move into the US market, and I've seen the work he's done for some mega-companies overseas. I think he could be an essential tool in rebranding us as a company that cares about sustainability. And to do that we need to start from the ground up –"

"Not him," Heero interrupted just as Duo started to get going.

"What? Why not? He's amazing – his company is amazing."

"Trowa worked for him."

"Yes… again, another good sign."

"It's not – I don't want him involved with this company."

Duo frowned.

"I'm missing something here, like a legitimate reason not to meet with one of the biggest names in the PR business."

Heero scowled. "Fine – meet with him. But I want to be involved in any decisions about this."

"Okay, sure thing. I mean, I can handle this on my own – and your plate is already overflowing. But if you want to be a part of it, sure. I'll keep you in the loop." Duo paused and let both of them calm down. "So, will you take Nat over to Mother's?"

"Yes."

"Thanks – and make sure she brings her overnight bag."

"She's spending the night?"

"Yes. I swear to God, Mother would adopt Nat herself if I hadn't done it first. I'm actually kind of jealous – the kid is getting way more attention from her than we ever did."

"Maybe she always wanted a girl," Heero mused.

"That's what I figure. Anyway, I'm off to mope about getting old and try to do some more work."

Heero nodded absently, already absorbed in his paperwork again.

Duo left the office and closed the door behind him. As he turned, he ran into Trowa.

"Sorry." They apologized at the same time. Duo helped pick up the stack of papers that had gone flying in their collision.

This close, Duo could smell Trowa's aftershave, and he was irritated by the sudden surge of desire he felt just at the scent of him. As Duo handed back a few papers, their hands touched.

"Fuck," Duo muttered and practically threw the papers back at Trowa.

It had been two weeks since Trowa had ended their relationship, and Duo had managed to spend most of that time avoiding the other man. But now they were alone and Duo's fingers itched to hold Trowa.

"Duo."

From the look in Trowa's green eyes, he wasn't alone in his sudden desire to fuck the other man in a public hallway.

He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. He tried to force his breathing to even out and the mental images of Trowa's naked body to retreat. It didn't work.

"Trowa, I have to touch you. I literally might go insane if I don't."

"Do you have to do it with your eyes closed?"

Duo opened his eyes and found that Trowa was standing again, papers neatly organized, looking down at him with amusement.

Duo stood as well. There were only a few inches separating them, but as Duo looked into Trowa's eyes it suddenly felt like miles.

"I thought we were done," Duo muttered. He reached out and traced Trowa's lips with his thumb.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Trowa confessed.

"Then why the hell are you avoiding me?" Duo demanded. Of course, the avoidance hadn't been one sided – but that wasn't the issue under discussion.

"You don't need me."

"The hell I don't." Duo closed the distance between them and kissed Trowa, trying to inject all of his anger and desire into the gesture. Trowa's mouth immediately opened under his and their tongues fought for control. Duo was dimly aware of Trowa dropping his papers again as the other man pulled him closer. Duo wrapped one hand around the back of Trowa's neck and the other found his waist under his jacket, close enough to feel the heat of Trowa's body.

"Stop." Trowa was pulling away, but Duo refused to let go. He tilted his head back and glared up at him.

"What now?"

" You need a partner, Duo. You've got dreams and plans."

"You can be part of those. And yeah, I _want_ a partner. Why the hell can't that be you?"

"I'm not right. I'm not good enough for you."

"Quatre Winner really fucked you over, didn't he?"

Trowa pulled away completely now, and Duo let him.

"No, he didn't. Quatre –"

"Is amazing? Right? Your only plan was to spend the rest of your life with him? Yeah, you mentioned that before." Duo ran a hand through his hair again, not caring that he was likely making a mess of it. He had been replaying Trowa's rant for the last two weeks, and he felt no closer to knowing what Trowa actually meant when he said he wasn't good enough to be with Duo. Something kept tugging his attention back to Quatre Winner, however, and he was convinced that Trowa was either still in love with him, or that the man had ruined Trowa's life so completely that he couldn't move on. Or both.

Trowa started to say something, but stopped himself.

"Yeah. Okay. So – just to be clear on this – are you planning on running back to him when you get the chance or are you going to spend the rest of your life, miserable, without him?"

Trowa was scowling as he knelt to pick up the twice-spilled papers.

Duo sighed and bent to help him.

"I just don't understand you. You obviously want me – is this just sex? You don't want a relationship? Don't want to deal with Nat? I don't get it."

"You're amazing, Nat's amazing. It's not you." Trowa finished gathering the papers, took the stack Duo held, and stood again. Duo also straightened. "We just need to put this behind us. Forget it ever happened."

Duo snorted. "Yeah, how's that working out for you?"

"About as well as any of my plans ever do," Trowa said. He sighed. "I need to go."

"Yeah, don't let me keep you. Hey – maybe it _is_ me, you know. Maybe you should, you know, give it a go with Heero." It was petty and cruel – both to himself and to Trowa, but the words were out before Duo could help himself.

Trowa winced and Duo felt a stab of regret and self-loathing. Without another word, Trowa turned and went into Heero's office.

"Fucking moron," Duo scolded himself as he went back to his own office.

He buried himself in work for the rest of the day, trying to put all thoughts of his birthday, Trowa, and Heero out of his mind. He worked later than usual, until seven, before cleaning up and preparing to meet Zechs Merquise for dinner.

The fact that Heero was so against working with the other man just made Duo all that more interested in the meeting. He knew it was petty, but Heero's disapproval actually spurred him on at times.

Duo arrived at the Firebird just a few minutes before eight, and easily found Zechs waiting at the small bar area. The man certainly knew how to make an impression, and he definitely stood out from the crowd. Zechs' pale blonde hair was just as long as Duo's own hair, but the man wore it loose, as if daring anyone to comment on it. The fact that he was over six feet tall and his body was lean and muscled meant that comments were likely few are far between. He was dressed in a light gray suit and a thin, modish black tie.

"Hey," Duo called out as he approached.

Zechs looked up from his drink and smirked slightly.

"Mr. Maxwell."

"Call me Duo." He held out a hand and Zechs shook it, his grip firm and quick.

"Then please, call me Zechs."

Duo nodded and then turned to smile at the hostess.

"Right this way, Duo," she said with a smirk of her own.

Once they were seated and had ordered drinks – water for Duo and a scotch for Zechs – Duo folded his hands on the table and leaned forward.

"Okay, so business meetings over dinner aren't my strong suit. I love eating, and I hate business, so…if it's okay with you, let's get the business part of the night out of the way as quickly as possible."

Zechs looked amused.

"Very well. As I understand it, you aren't satisfied with your current PR representatives and you are looking to rebrand Yuy Inc. My company has the history, influence, and talent to do that successfully and tastefully."

"My thoughts exactly. Trouble is, Heero isn't convinced you're the right company for the job."

"Hm. His objections?"

"Hard to say. Here's what I figure – I'd like to give you some data on a few of our subsidiaries. From that, I'd like you – or your people, I guess – to work up a few mock ad campaigns. I'll look over those, discuss them with my brother, and we'll go from there."

"Logical."

"Right, so all that's left is to discuss your fee."

"No fee needed. My company has done things on spec before, this will be no different. Besides, if this relationship works – I'll expect a very healthy bonus."

Duo chuckled. "Alright, sounds good. So, now that _that's_ out of the way, we can enjoy some excellent food!"

The meal was actually pleasant. The Firebird was one of Duo's favorite restaurants, and Zechs turned out to be an excellent conversationalist. They spent a great deal of time discussing art, music, and eventually found their way to discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the European Union.

They had finished their meal and were drinking coffee when the hostess brought out a slice of chocolate cake with a single lit candle in the center. Duo groaned as she sat it in front of him.

"Happy birthday, Duo!" She said.

"You're a few days early – _and_ being reminded of how old I'm getting isn't going to encourage me to tip well."

She winked.

"You say that every year, and yet… here you are again!" She walked away and Duo shook his head.

"How old _are_ you getting?" Zechs asked with a smirk.

"I turn thirty on Saturday." Duo looked at the cake and shook his head in disgust. "You know, this is going to taste amazing, and while I have no problem eating it on my own, I'd feel guilty. Want to split it with me?"

"It does look delicious," Zechs agreed.

"Excellent." Duo used his fork to cut the slice in half and took the smaller piece for himself.

"I remember turning thirty," Zechs mused.

"When was that? Last year?"

"No, five years ago. I remember it felt like such a milestone at the time, but… it's remarkable how little actually changed. Just another year gone by."

"I guess so, but I might have attached some anxiety to it myself. See, I've got this five year plan – which I always planned to implement starting when I turned thirty. So, now the countdown's begun."

"And what exactly does this plan entail?" Zechs asked with a smirk.

"The usual, I guess. Get married, start a family. Get a dog."

"You've waited until you were thirty to get a dog?"

"It's not – never mind. But, anyway, I've had this plan for years – and the closer I get to thirty, the more I realize just how crazy it is. I mean, I've adopted a kid already, on my own – and she's great. But I'm not even dating anyone, so the rest seems a bit ridiculous."

"How on earth is someone as remarkable as you single?" There was both heat and amusement in Zechs' eyes.

Duo shrugged. "Any number of reasons." He shrugged. "It's strange – but I've actually _never_ been dating someone during my birthday."

"Well, that's fortunate."

Duo frowned. "How so?"

"You've got these big plans coming up – sounds like this is your last chance to do something reckless before you try to find someone to settle down with."

Duo studied the man across from him, taking in the lust in Zechs' eyes and the smirk on his full lips. He was handsome, intelligent, and even though everything about him seemed to be faintly mocking Duo, it was also obvious that he was attracted to him. He wasn't someone that Duo would ever consider dating, true, but he seemed like an ideal candidate for some reckless behavior.

"You might have a point. It's been a while since I've done something incredibly reckless. Still – as reckless as I might be feeling, I'm not interested in damaging a potential business relationship."

"I'm quite confident that there won't be any damage done to our relationship," Zechs said with a smirk.

"In that case, want to get out of here?" Duo winked and Zechs chuckled.

"My hotel isn't too far from here," Zechs said, and there was a low growl in his voice that made Duo shiver in anticipation.

The cab ride to Zechs' hotel was filled with tension. Duo was incredibly aware of Zechs' body next to his own, from their legs touching to the heat and scent of him just inches away. It had been a while since Duo had indulged in behavior as reckless as this, but he was looking forward to casual sex with a virtual stranger. There was no relationship on the line here – no chance that Duo was actually going to want to be involved with the man – and it was a relief. Duo put all of his thoughts and emotions about Trowa into a box and shoved it to the back of his mind.

As soon as they entered Zechs' hotel room, the older man pushed Duo back against the door and started to strip him. Duo started to return the favor.

"Hmm. You have an amazing body," Zechs decided after he looked over Duo's naked form. He reached up to undo Duo's braid.

"Just leave it," Duo said and stepped closer to Zechs. "And _you're_ the one with the amazing body. God, you look like a sculpture." It was true. Zechs' well-muscled, alabaster skin looked as though it been carved from marble. Duo ran his hands over Zechs' defined abs and smirked at the heat and strength of his body.

"We could admire each other all night, or move on to more interactive appreciation?" Zechs suggested with something like a sneer.

"I'm all for more interaction." It was strange, but as aroused as Duo was, and as much as he did want to explore Zechs' body, he had absolutely no interest in kissing the other man.

Zechs took Duo's growing erection in one hand and led him deeper into the hotel room until they reached the leather couch in the sitting room. Once there, Zechs pushed Duo down and then knelt between his legs. He held eye contact with Duo as he continued to stroke him, smirking when Duo moaned in pleasure.

"Hm, maybe you deserve an early birthday present?" Zechs taunted, pulling hard on Duo and eliciting another moan. He wanted to make a witty response, but Zechs took his entire length into his mouth and Duo lost all rational thought.

"Christ that's amazing." He threaded his fingers through Zechs' hair, tugging slightly on the strands as Zechs worked up and down his erection, alternately sucking and licking him.

When Duo came, Zechs swallowed hard, and Duo cried out at the intense feeling.

"That was a damn good birthday present," Duo panted.

Zechs smirked. "I'm just getting started. Here, let me show you the bedroom."

Even though his legs were still shaky from the intense orgasm, Duo gamely followed Zechs through the suite and into a large room furnished with an enormous bed.

"Jeez, you could fit an orgy on that thing," he muttered.

"Not my original intention for tonight, but if you prefer – "

"No, no. I prefer the one on one interaction." Duo then proceeded to return the favor of Zechs' earlier attention, bringing the other man to climax quickly and loudly.

After they had both recovered from that they spent a leisurely hour exploring each other's bodies until Zechs grew tired of the foreplay and started to prepare Duo, pumping his long fingers into his anus with a pressure that bordered on pain but was still pleasurable.

When Zechs finally entered him, Duo cried out from the feeling of being completely filled.

"Hm, Trowa was right," Zechs murmured as he thrust into Duo, staring down at him with a smirk.

"What?" Duo grunted, not sure he had heard Zechs correctly.

"He said you were amazing in bed. I just didn't realize I would get the chance to find out just how amazing." Zechs thrust deeply into Duo and moaned as he came.

Despite the pressure on his prostrate and Zechs' hand on his erection, Duo almost immediately lost his arousal. Zechs either didn't notice or didn't care. He pulled out of Duo, climbed out of the bed, and walked into the bathroom without another word.

He came back a moment later, clean and smirking, but Duo couldn't move.

"You – Trowa."

"Don't seem so surprised. He's very analytical, of course he's going to examine your technique."

"Just when exactly did this come up in conversation between the two of you?" Duo felt cold fury begin to spread in his belly.

"Hm, oh, of course. It was a few nights after we fucked at your mother's charity event."

Duo was starting to feel numb.

"Oh. I see." Zechs chuckled. "I've seen Trowa in love before, but never anyone in love with him. Curious. I didn't think it was possible. And now I've crushed your dreams. I wouldn't concern yourself too much. He's an amazing lay – as we both know – but there are other men out there who are almost as enjoyable."

Zechs' eyes were amused as he met Duo's furious gaze.

"Were you interested in another round?" Zechs knelt on the edge of the bed and leaned over Duo.

"I think I'll pass," Duo managed to grind out, his teeth and jaw clenched so hard he was barely able to speak.

"Maybe some other time, when you've gotten over Trowa, then."

Duo ignored Zechs as he gathered his clothing and started to dress. He was keenly aware of the other man's gaze, but resolutely ignored him. He ignored everything except the familiar gestures of putting on his clothes, pulling up his zipper, buttoning his shirt.

"That's not going to happen," Duo assured him as he walked to the door.

"Which do you mean?" Zechs asked and chuckled at the look of confusion on Duo's face. "You are almost as pathetic as him."

Duo refused to respond and slammed the door behind himself.

He spent nearly an hour walking the streets of midtown, without direction or purpose.

He couldn't figure out what angered him more – Trowa's betrayal or the fact that he was actually started to understand why Trowa thought he wasn't good enough.

With a sigh, he eventually decided to call Hilde.

"What's up loser?" She answered.

Normally he would laugh or at least smile at the greeting, but tonight it was a little too accurate.

"Oh you know, just wandering Manhattan with a broken heart and debating whether or not to drink myself into oblivion or get into a fight with a homeless guy."

"Well, if I were you I would avoid the fight – homeless guys can probably kick your ass."

"So want to meet me at McClaren's?"

"It's a school night –"

"We're talking seriously fucked up, here," Duo assured her.

"Alright. I'll meet you there in a few."

"Thanks, Hil."

"Oh, no it's fine, because you're going to have to listen to me talk about all the wonderful sex I've been having before I let you start whining about your life."

"Please tell me this isn't lesbian sex."

"You bet it is. With breasts and vaginas and shaved legs and a lot of –"

"Too much. Too much!"

Hilde chuckled. "See you soon."

Duo had already started on a pitcher when Hilde arrived, but she joined him and made short work of her first glass and quickly caught up with him.

"So, get it over with. The sex talking."

She smirked.

"There's actually not that much to tell. Catherine and I have been taking it slow, since she's still not convinced she's into women, but last night she _finally_ came over to my apartment and I think it's safe to say, she's a fan of the ladies now."

"Or at least one lady in particular," Duo pointed out.

Hilde smirked. "Well, who wouldn't be a fan of mine? Okay, I'll save the details for later, because I'm sensing serious angst here. Spill."

"I did something stupid tonight."

"Which makes it different from every other night how?"

"I had sex with Zechs Merquise, who I _wanted_ to hire to do some PR work for us."

"Please tell me you aren't turning him down because he was bad in bed."

"A little less help from the peanut gallery would be nice," Duo muttered. Hilde stuck out her tongue. "In the _middle_ of us having sex he tells me that _Trowa_ told him I was amazing in bed. Told him this after screwing him at Mom's gala thing at the Gugenheim a few weeks back."

"Before you two broke up."

"Before he dumped me, yeah. Then this prick goes on to tell me how pathetic it is that I'm in love with Trowa – and how generally pathetic Trowa is."

"Well, he _did_ cheat on you –"

"You don't get it. Yeah, okay, I'm definitely pissed about that part, but Trowa's been telling me all of this garbage about how he isn't good enough to be with me."

"I'm starting to agree with him on that. Cheating on someone isn't okay."

"One, I didn't say it was. Two, technically, we never really discussed the seriousness of our relationship. Three, still not the issue."

Hilde sighed. "Sometimes I hate the way your brain works. So, what IS the issue again?"

"Trowa's operating under the assumption that he isn't good enough to be with me."

"And you disagree with this."

"Because it's bullshit. He's a great guy."

Hilde cleared her throat.

"Again, I'm pissed about him hooking up with Zechs. But that aside – he's a great guy. Good with kids, amazing lawyer and a total badass when he's defending my right to have custody of Nat. He's funny, he's intelligent, he's _kind_. He just has zero self-confidence and shitty taste in guys, aside from me."

Hilde rolled her eyes.

"So how exactly are you going to solve this issue?"

"I can't – he has to. Which I'm pretty sure he realized, and that's why he dumped me."

"You're starting to sound like a self-help book."

"Kind of what he needs right now. I'm betting all of this has to do with Quatre Winner."

"That's what Cathy says, too."

"You talk to your girlfriend about us?"

Hilde rolled her eyes.

"Once in a while, when we get bored. But I'm not so sure. You know about his parents, right?"

Duo frowned. "No. He never mentioned them."

"Because they died when he was nine. They were killed in a car accident – some drunk, high, rich kid in a Hummer totaled their car. Trowa survived, but they died before he even regained consciousness in the hospital. The kid's family was rich and really well connected, and they didn't want this getting out in the media, so they got the local cops to cover it up and tried to pay off Cathy and Trowa to keep it quiet."

"Fuck. That's why he became a lawyer."

"I guess." Hilde shrugged. "Cathy says that he was amazing dancer – better than she was – but he just stopped after they died."

Duo ran a hand through his hair.

"That is seriously fucked up. So where does Quatre come into this?"

"They were roommates at Brown. Trowa fell for him immediately, but Quatre wasn't – isn't gay." Hilde shrugged. " Not really, anyway. But I guess he felt SOMETHING for Trowa, because they were together all through college. After they graduated, Quatre went back to Dubai to work for his father. Trowa was devastated. He worked here for a while, and then went to work for Merquise. When Quatre's father died, Trowa jumped at the chance to work for him. According to Cathy, Trowa was seriously in love with him. He thought they could actually be together, but then Quatre got engaged to some princess from Saudi Arabia."

Duo winced in sympathy.

"Yeah. So… then he came back here. And met you."

"Guy needs a therapist," Duo muttered.

"I thought that's where you come in?"

"I _want_ to help him. I just don't really know how."

"Don't give up on him."

Duo frowned. "What?"

Hilde shrugged. "Maybe I'm reading too much between the lines here, but I agree with you that Trowa doesn't put a lot of value in himself. And I think that's related to his relationships with Quatre and Zechs, but maybe even more to the fact that when his parents died, no one stood up for him, or them."

"Damn, when did _you_ get to be so smart?"

"Pussy power," Hilde said and chuckled when he winced. "But I'm serious."

"So, you went from thinking I was crazy to still like him because he cheated on me to telling me not to give up on him?"

"Duo, get real. Zechs was right – you love him. You've been miserable these last two weeks, which is crazy considering the fact that you only went out with him for two weeks before in the first place. You've got it bad."

Duo hung his head in submission.

"I mean, Duo, you just sat here and told me all of the reasons why this guy was so incredible. And you did that the same night you found out that he hooked up with some other guy and compared your skills in bed. I could say it's just because you're an idiot, but –"

"Okay, okay. Enough of the pep talk. I love him. Okay? Happy?"

Hilde smirked. "Those Bartons are something else, aren't they?"

Duo rolled his eyes. "Please don't use that as a segue-way for talking about the hot lesbian sex."

"It's not just the sex. Which was hot. And very lesbian. She's funny – kind of a sharp sense of humor most of the time, but I like that."

"No kidding?" Duo said sarcastically. Hilde punched him.

"And her body is amazing. I mean, just touching her is – "

"Please, Hilde, do I ever go into detail about the guys I sleep with? Have I ever made you suffer through –"

"And I just discovered this spot behind her left knee. It's not a ticklish spot, well, it's sort of a combination between that and an erogenous zone I guess. She makes the most incredible sound when I touch it."

"Oh my God." Duo buried his face in his hands. "Trowa has the same thing. Oh God. This conversation just got way too disturbing for me to handle."

"Makes sense, I guess, I wonder – hey, how does Trowa react when –"

"Nope, no way. This conversation is so over. There is absolutely no way I'm comparing my lover to his sister." Duo stood and glared when Hilde started to laugh.

"Oh, Duo, sit back down. Let me get us another pitcher. I won't talk about them anymore. In fact – let's talk about Nat. I promise," she assured him when he still looked wary.

With a sigh, Duo sat back down.

"I'm going to have nightmares after this, I just know it," he muttered.

"Such a coward."

"Such a supportive friend." Duo sighed. "No, but I mean it. Thanks, Hil. You're crazy – and misguided – but I love you."

She hugged him with one arm.

"Right back at you."

* * *

By Saturday, Duo still hadn't worked out how, exactly, he planned to not give up on Trowa. Thursday morning Heero had caught Duo when he came in and demanded to know how the meeting went – and Duo had grudgingly told Heero that he was right, and Merquise was NOT the right PR group for them but left out all details. He hadn't seen much of Trowa on Thursday or Friday, and Duo was grateful for that.

Nathalie seemed almost more excited than Duo was about his birthday cook-out. It was the first day he hadn't had to drag her out of bed, and, in fact, the tables had been turned on him that morning when she jumped onto his bed and demanded he get up. He had been shocked to find her so exuberant, but even more shocked that she was comfortable and confident enough to actually JUMP on his bed to wake him up. Duo was pretty confident that her laughter as he grabbed her and tickled her was going to be the best present he received this year.

When they arrived just before noon, no guests were present yet and the household staff was still setting up. Nathalie quickly scurried off to make trouble – her weekly visits had given her the confidence to explore the house and she had quickly made friends with many of the kitchen staff.

Duo found Howard setting up the enormous industrial grill on the back veranda. The butler had abandoned his usual uniform and was instead wearing shorts and a pink, floral Hawaiian shirt that made Duo wince.

"Nice day for a cook-out," Duo commented.

Howard looked up at him and glared over the tops of sunglasses.

"Don't even think about coming closer. I'm not letting you near this baby."

"Aw, c'mon, Howard! It's my thirtieth birthday! I think I'm old enough to operate a simple grill."

"Simple? You call this baby _simple_? Ha. Just goes to show – kids these days have no respect for elegant machinery. This _simple_ grill is state of the art, and YOU, kiddo, have no business insulting it."

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. So, gonna let me do the honors this year?"

"Not on your life. _Maybe_ when you turn forty I'll consider you responsible enough. But this year I'm still the Grill Master."

"Alright, O Wise and Powerful Master." Duo rolled his eyes and bowed.

"Now get out of here and let me do my job."

It was the same every year – ever since, at the age of ten, Duo had proclaimed that he wanted a cook-out for his birthday party. Celia and Odin had reluctantly agreed to it the first time, but it had quickly become an established tradition, just as Duo begging Howard to let him do the grilling had become a tradition.

Duo wandered around the veranda for a while before Celia came out and found him.

"Darling, come inside and let me give you your present." She kissed his cheek and took his arm.

"I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Nat," Duo told her as they walked into the house.

"Oh, nonsense. That girl is absolutely precious. And enough like YOU that I feel as though she really is my grand-daughter."

Duo laughed. "I'd like her to be. I mean, I want to make this permanent when I can."

"You are going to be a wonderful father to her," Celia assured him. "She's already blossomed so much under your care."

They went into the library, and Duo looked around for a gift-wrapped box. He saw nothing.

"This is only one of your presents, and it's from your father."

Celia held out a small, black leather box that Duo easily recognized.

"But, Heero. It should go to him, he's –"

"He wanted you to have it, darling. You are _both_ his sons. He loved _both_ of you."

Duo took the box from her fingers and opened it. Inside was the Cortebert wrist- watch that Odin had inherited from his father, who had won the watch from General Douglas MacArthur during the occupation of Japan just after World War II. Duo had always been fascinated with the watch, which Odin had told him dated back to the 1920s.

"Thank you." Duo clutched the box as he realized that this was the last present he would ever receive from his father.

"He would be so proud of you," Celia said and wiped a tear he didn't realize he had shed.

"I miss him."

"We all do." Celia drew in a deep breath and dabbed at her own eyes. "Now, this is no way to celebrate such a monumental birthday. Come along, let us greet your guests."

Duo had to laugh at his mother's legendary composure. He put the watch box in his jeans pocket and followed her out of the room.

This was a tradition that he did not relish, but he dutifully stood beside his mother just outside the veranda doors and greeted all of the people who had come to celebrate his birthday. It was the same every year – the assortment of Celia's relatives, neighbors, childhood friends, and a smattering of whatever politicians and celebrities that Celia currently found amusing enough to invited to a family gathering. Duo took sadistic pleasure in forcing Nathalie to stand beside him in the receiving line, grinning every time she shuffled her feet and sighed in frustration.

"Get used to it, kid, your turn is coming up in a few months," he told her when there was a break in the people.

She looked up at him with shocked eyes.

"My birthday?"

"Yeah. If you want, we can have two parties – one wherever you want. But it's family tradition to have a party here also."

" _Two_ birthday parties?"

"Probably three. One here, one with your friends, and one just us."

She blinked, as if he had just imparted life-changing wisdom to her.

"Wow. Oh – it's Trowa."

It had been an awkward conversation when Duo told Nathalie that Trowa would _not_ be visiting them anymore. Even though she hid it well, he could tell that she was disappointed. Nathalie didn't trust many adults, but Trowa had obviously gained her trust and affection.

Duo looked up and saw Trowa approaching with Catherine, and two children who looked like miniature versions of the two older siblings.

"Who are they?" She asked.

"Well, the woman is his sister, Catherine, and I'm pretty sure that the kids are hers."

"They look just like them."

"Yeah. That Barton DNA must be pretty strong."

"Catherine, Trowa, I'm so glad you could make it for Duo's birthday party." Celia greeted them with a wide smile. "And who are these lovely persons?" She looked down at the kids.

"My niece and nephew – Luc and Lilly."

"Wonderful. Nathalie, why don't you show these two around?"

Nathalie looked at the two and then up at Duo.

"Go for it."

She looked unsure, but then stepped up.

"Hi."

"Hello," the boy spoke up.

The stood awkwardly and then Nathalie rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she started to walk away. After a moment, the other two followed.

"Thank you for having us. Happy birthday, Duo." Catherine said with a smile.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for coming. Trowa."

The lawyer looked up and met Duo's gaze.

"I appreciate you coming."

Trowa nodded, even though he looked unsure.

Celia started to greet the next guests, and Catherine and Trowa moved on.

Mechanically, Duo also greeted them, but his eyes were focused on Trowa.

"Darling, have you still not worked things out with him?"

Duo turned to look at Celia so fast he almost fell.

"What? I –"

"I'm your mother, Duo. I know you. And, of course, Nathalie was more than happy to tell me all about it." She frowned. "She's quite taken with him. She goes on and on about how amazing he was standing up to her mother at the custody hearing."

"Yeah. I'm right there with her." Duo sighed. "It's just not that simple."

"Well, as a small present from me – why don't you go run along and talk to him? I will finish greeting everyone."

"What? You're seriously letting me off the hook?" He smirked when she gave him her classic, scolding look. "Thanks." He kissed her cheek and started after Towa.

He didn't get very far before he was intercepted by first one guest, and then another. Before long, Duo had become completely sidetracked from his original mission. He kept catching glimpses of Trowa – laughing with Heero, talking to Catherine, eating with Wufei – but he was never able to get free of the other guests to get close enough to talk to him.

Duo felt as though he had spent a lifetime making small talk and thanking people for coming before his mother announced that the cake was being served and asked everyone to take their seats.

Duo took his seat between Celia and Heero. He searched for Nathalie and saw her sitting with the Barton kids – giggling and happy. He shook his head. What WAS it about the Bartons that made them so easy to fall for?

"Once again, thank you _all_ for coming out to celebrate Duo's thirtieth birthday with us today." Celia stood, holding a glass of champagne. " Our family has had a tumultuous time recently, and it is with sadness that we celebrate this day without Odin. But I know that my husband is just as proud of Duo as I am, looking at him today. He is a son that any mother would treasure. He is a brother that respects and protects his family. And now, he is a father himself. I have every confidence that this coming year will provide Duo with new challenges, new joys, and new opportunities for him to embrace life with the hope and happiness that he always has. Happy birthday, darling."

There was general applause and echoes of happy birthday from the guests.

"Thank you," Duo stood up and kissed her cheek.

"I would also like to say a few words," Heero said, standing up on Duo's other side.

"Oh please, no," Duo muttered.

The guests who heard him laughed, and Heero smirked as Duo sat back down in his chair.

"When Duo was ten, he and I made a list of goals we wanted to accomplish before we turned thirty." Heero pulled a crumpled piece of notebook paper out of his pocket. "It took me a while, but I finally tracked down the list. I won't read the entire list – one because it's too long, and two, because Mother would kill me over some of these things – but I'd like to read you three items from the list." Heero paused and cleared his throat. "1. Become a professional tennis player. Now, most of you know that Duo was nationally ranked as a tennis player by the time he was fourteen, and was well on his way to achieving that goal until an injury his senior year of high school forced him to abandon professional sports. What many of you DON'T know is that ever since then, Duo has sponsored an inner-city tennis program that gives kids the chance to play the sport he loved so much. The program has existed for almost ten years. In that time, forty-seven children from the program have earned full scholarships to Division I and II schools. Ten children have gone on to compete in professional tournaments. Another two hundred have been given the gift of three hours a week spent on the court, learning a skill, a hobby, and a passion. So, going back to that item. Maybe Duo didn't become a professional tennis player. As his brother – I'm okay with that. He's insufferable enough as it is. As a superstar, I don't think I could handle him. But also as his brother, I know that he's done even better. He's given hundreds of other kids the chance to dream, and that's even better. 2. Visit the underground storage rooms at the Louvre." Heero had to pause as several close family friends started to laugh. Duo hung his head. "I see that many of you already know what I'm about to say. But for those of you who don't. The summer after Duo's fifteenth birthday, we were staying in Paris, when I dared him to make good on this wish. I never dreamed that he would try – and I never imagined he would succeed. I won't go into the details – because the French government is _still_ embarrassed at how easily Duo managed to slip past the museum security – but Duo _did_ succeed. As his brother, I'm grateful that he didn't rat me out to our parents as having dared him to do it. Also as his brother, I know that this is just one of many examples – legal and maybe slightly less than legal – of how Duo, was determined and committed to something, will succeed at any costs. And this last one is my personal favorite. By the time he was thirty, Duo wanted to have saved someone else's life." Heero paused and swallowed. He looked down at Duo. "Anyone who knows Duo knows that he has already accomplished this, many times over. Between the charities and foundations he has established, the school for inner city children he funds and teaches at, and his personal involvement in the lives of so many, Duo has saved countless lives. The fact that, as a ten year old, this made his list of things to do before he turned thirty, makes it obvious just what an amazing person Duo is. I'm proud to be his brother. Even though you didn't accomplish everything on this list, Duo, you are an extraordinary person. Happy birthday."

Duo hugged Heero tightly.

"Jeez, man, I thought you were never going to finish," he muttered.

"Shut up and blow out your candles," Heero replied with a smirk.

Duo waited for everyone to sing 'Happy Birthday' and then blew out the candles with one large breath, earning cheers from everyone.

He grinned and, just because he could, he picked up his piece of birthday cake and smeared it all over Heero's face.

The look of fury in his blue eyes was priceless.

"Duo!" Celia admonished.

But Heero had already retaliated, and Duo found himself licking frosting off the tip of his nose as he tried to brush off the slice that Heero had smashed into his own face.

"I always wanted to do that," Duo confessed.

"Me too," Heero agreed with a chuckle.

It wasn't the birthday that Duo had imagined it would be, but all in all, it was pretty amazing.

* * *

Next up: Wufei has a favor to ask…

* * *

**Chapter 13: Chapter 13**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A Little Less Normal

**Chapter XIII**

Wufei blamed Heero. If he hadn't made such a sappy and moving speech at Duo's birthday party, Wufei never would have felt the need to agree to the torture that lay ahead of him.

For years, Duo had begged, cajoled, and pleaded with Wufei to go to a karaoke bar. And for years, Wufei had found it ridiculously easy to say no and insult Duo for even suggesting that it was an activity that grown men should invest time in.

But, when it came down to it, Wufei decided that if he went – just once – it would be a generous enough birthday present for Duo that he could avoid ever giving in to his demands again. Of course, Wufei had decided that he wouldn't suffer this tragic fate alone, and had insisted that Heero and Trowa accompany them.

Which is how Wufei found himself sitting in a dark, smoky bar listening to drunken idiots who no doubt believed themselves to be the future winners of American Idol.

"Best birthday present ever," Duo assured Wufei after whistling and cheering for a middle aged woman who had just finished singing 'My Favorite Things.'

"Your last one, too," Wufei assured him. What had seemed like a good idea was quickly turning into a nightmare. Duo had immediately decided that it wasn't enough for Wufei to simply come to the karaoke bar, but he – and the others – would actually have to participate.

Wufei was hoping to get Duo drunk enough that he forgot the plan, but he wasn't sure what Heero or Trowa had planned for their own escapes.

"Alright, I'm up!" Duo tossed down the last of his beer and headed for the stage.

"Why did you suggest this?" Heero demanded as soon as his brother was out of earshot.

"It's your fault – you told me to be nice to him."

"How does being nice to Duo involve torturing us?" Trowa asked. Of the three of them, he seemed the most on edge, and Wufei wondered if he was actually afraid to sing in public or if there was something else bothering him. Heero seemed remarkably calm, but then, he had skipped the beer and had spent the night nursing three scotches instead.

"It won't happen again," Wufei assured them.

If he was honest with himself, the evening wasn't the disaster he had envisioned. Yes, he was mildly anxious about the possibility of having to perform, but it was nice being out like this after weeks of worrying about his father, his own future, and plotting revenge against Treize Khushrenada. It was impossible to focus on those thoughts in this atmosphere, and so Wufei was actually able to let himself go and try to relax.

The lights suddenly got dark and a hush fell over the patrons. A single spot came up to highlight Duo, who had the mic in his hand and was grinning cockily in Wufei's direction. He rolled his eyes.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Heero muttered. He collected his drink and escaped to the bar.

An all too familiar chord struck up and Duo started to advance towards Wufei.

"Oh my god. I'm going to kill him." Wufei muttered. Trowa was smirking, clearly enjoying what was about to happen.

Duo was still halfway across the bar when he started to sing. He was looking directly at Wufei as he did so.

"You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss you lips." He blew an air kiss to Wufei.

"And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips. You're trying hard not to show it –"

"Baby!" Someone helpfully shouted out when Duo waved a hand for support.

"But baby, baby I know it – " He waved his hand again and nearly half the bar joined him in the chorus.

"You've lost that lovin' feeling, Whoa, that lovin' feeling, you've lost that lovin' feeling, now it's gone…gone…gone…wooooh." Duo continued his approach and Wufei debated running, but then a second spot light hit him and he was frozen.

"Now there's no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you. And now you're starting to criticize little things I do. It makes me just feel like crying –"

"Baby!"

"-'Cause baby, something in you is dying."

"You've lost that lovin' feeling, whoa, that lovin' feeling, you've lost that lovin' feeling, now it's gone…gone…gone…wooooah." Duo had now reached the table, and as the chorus ended he knelt down in front of Wufei.

"Baby, baby, I get down on my knees for you. If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah. We had a love… a love… a love you don't find everyday. So don't … don't… don't let it slip away. Baby, baby, I beg of you please…please, I need your love, I need your love, so bring it on back. Bring it on back!"

Duo gestured with his hand again and the patrons joined in one last time.

"Bring back that lovin' feeling, whoa, that lovin' feeling. Bring back that lovin; feeling, 'cause it's gone…gone…gone, and I can't go on, nooo! Bring back that lovin' feeling, whoa, that lovin' feeling, Bring back that lovin' feeling, 'cause it's gone… gone… gone…" Duo trailed off and the crowd roared with applause.

Almost immediately, a chant started up.

"Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!"

Wufei contemplated mass homicide as Duo stood and bowed and then looked down at Wufei expectantly.

"I'm going to murder you," Wufei promised.

"He says he's taken!" Duo announced to the crowd on the mic. He winked at Wufei and then walked back to the stage to hand it back.

When he came back to the table, Wufei glared at him.

"I can't believe you did that to me."

"You can't? Where have you been for the last twenty five years? That's classic Duo Maxwell, right there. I mean – even Trowa could have seen that coming, and he's known me for, like, a month!"

Trowa nodded in agreement and Wufei glared at him as well.

"It's true. Well, I was trying to figure out if he was going to embarrass you or Heero."

"Wufei, definitely. Cuz he's just so pretty when he glares at me." Duo chuckled when Wufei actually growled in frustration.

"I'll get the next round," Trowa announced and fled the scene.

Wufei watched him join Heero at the bar. The two of them started to talk, and Heero laughed at something Trowa said, earning a smirk from the other man.

He noticed Duo watching them as well, a far from friendly look on his face.

"They look good together," Wufei said, testing a theory.

Duo snorted in disdain. "Aesthetically, sure, but they'd be crap together."

"Really? They make good partners at work."

"Work and life are _not_ the same. Trust me – they wouldn't last long."

"They seem to have a lot in common. They're obviously attracted to each other."

"Okay, no. See, here's the thing. They have a lot in common, sure, because they're alike. They're both pretty quiet, intelligent, kind of quirky sense of humor. But – Trowa loves the ballet. Heero hates it. He thinks it's torture to sit through Swan Lake, but for Trowa it's almost as good as watching a Red Sox game."

"So they won't spend a lot of time at the ballet," Wufei said. He was amused by how quickly Duo had risen to his bait.

"Trowa's a cat person – Heero's _hates_ cats."

"You like dogs."

"I prefer dogs, but cats can be cool too. That's not a problem for us. Look, what's Heero's favorite movie?"

Wufei killed the smirk that had come to his face when he heard Duo say 'us.'

"Platoon."

"Right – and Trowa's is Return of the Jedi. Now, I know, I know – _who_ in their right mind picks Jedi over Empire? But it just goes to show – they're completely incompatible."

Wufei had no idea how Duo had leaped that conclusion based on the film choices.

"They clearly find other things to discuss." He nodded to the bar, where the two were still chatting companionably.

"Yeah, but – look, you know Heero, and you know that whenever something bothers him he just buries it away, right? He doesn't deal well with emotions, or set-backs, or anything like that."

"True."

"Well, neither does Trowa. So – IF they ever got together – the first time they had a fight, or something bad happened, they'd just stop talking to each other. They'd try to bury it and it would just eat away at them until they started to hate each other."

Wufei thought that was likely a fair assessment.

"Even so –"

"Okay, Trowa is ticklish. Swear to God, he giggles like a damned school girl if you get him right. Can you honestly EVER see Heero tickling Trowa?"

"It's a lot easier to picture _you_ doing it," Wufei said.

"Damn right it is –" Duo shut his mouth and glared at Wufei, realizing just where the conversation had gone. "I hate you."

"Consider that the beginning of my payback," Wufei said. "So, if you're so perfect for Trowa, why aren't _you_ with him?"

"Because he has his head up his ass and I'm working on it," Duo groused.

"What if they honestly could make each other happy?" Wufei asked, looking at them again. They _did_ look good together, and Heero was more relaxed around Trowa than Wufei usually saw him. Heero deserved to be happy, and if Trowa was his chance at that, Wufei wanted him to have it.

"Holy shit."

Wufei turned to Duo.

"What?"

"How did I never see it before? No fucking way."

Wufei didn't like the way Duo was looking at him.

" _What_ are you going on about?"

"How long have you been in love with my brother?"

Wufei clenched his jaw against the litany of curses he immediately wanted to throw at Duo.

"Shit. You've _always_ loved him, haven't you?" Duo continued. "What the hell – Wufei I didn't even think you were gay! I mean, you married a woman and had a kid! You've never shown any interest in guys!"

"I haven't had any interest in other men," Wufei growled. "I married Meilin because it was my duty to do so. It was good for my family. And Zhu Li came from that union, so I have no regrets."

Duo winced. "Yeah, but you've been divorced for, like, five years. Why the hell haven't you ever said anything?"

"Heero has always regarded me as his closest friend. I am content with that. I won't do something to jeopardize our relationship." It was an exaggeration to say that Wufei was content, but he was close enough to being content that it was enough. After all, Heero had never shown any interest in him as more than a friend. "Besides, my family obligations would make such a relationship very difficult."

"Yeah, but, I mean – you gotta live your own life, buddy. You have to make yourself happy. And – see, that's my point exactly. _You_ would be good for Heero, because as soon as you two started a fight, you'd make sure that it was finished. You don't let shit just stew, you poke at things until they're fixed. _That's_ what Heero needs."

"If he did, then surely he would have pursued that by now."

"Yeah, if he realized it's what he needed. Or – maybe he hasn't because he already gets that with you. Wufei! I can't believe this shit. You've got to tell him!"

"Why? So you won't have him competing with you over Trowa?"

Duo scowled.

"Okay, that was cruel, even for you. But I don't think it's my bro I'm competing with. Look, Trowa and I broke up over two weeks ago –" he nodded at the look of surprise on Wufei's face – "yeah, we'd been dating since the day Heero first interviewed him. But in those two weeks, Trowa hasn't said a word to Heero about ending his relationship. Heero thinks Trowa's still involved with someone. If Trowa was really interested in Heero, wouldn't he have said something to him by now?"

Wufei frowned. It was a good point. He looked up and saw that Heero and Trowa were approaching them.

"I can't tell him."

"Why the hell not?"

"I've never been with another man." Wufei couldn't believe he was confessing all of this to Duo.

"Er… well, I hadn't before my first time either."

"What if I don't enjoy it? IF Heero WERE by some chance interested in me, the entire thing would be ruined."

"Well, that is a problem, I guess. Have you –" Duo stopped his train of thought as Trowa and Heero arrived back at the table.

"Hey guys, so, which of you will be volunteering as the follow-up to me?" Duo asked with a grin.

"I'm betting that you've already put our names on the list," Heero said, refusing to give Duo the satisfaction of forcing one of them to volunteer.

"Caught me." Duo held his hands up in surrender. "I gotta say, I do appreciate you guys finally coming out to this. I've only been asking since college. But, hey, it's good to try new things, right, Wufei?"

Wufei glared at him and wished that he hadn't spent the last five minutes confessing his oldest and deepest secret. There was no telling what Duo would do with the information, but Wufei was confident that he would regret telling him.

The MC announced the next victim, and Heero gamely rose and went to the stage to take his punishment.

Wufei couldn't help but wince as Heero launched into an off-key but surprisingly enthusiastic rendition of 'We Are The Champions.'

Duo clapped and whistled for his brother louder than anyone else in the bar, and led the crowd in a standing ovation once Heero had finished.

And then it was Wufei's turn. He seriously contemplated murdering his best friend's brother as he climbed the stage and stared at the prompter in front of him. When the song choice cycled on, all idle thoughts of murder left his head and he started to contemplate the murder in earnest.

Wufei was confident that his version of 'All by Myself' was as far off the mark as possible – and the dead silence that greeted his performance afterwards only fueled his anger towards Duo. Even when Duo started to clap for him at the end, he still wanted to kill him.

He said so as soon as he arrived back at the table. Heero chuckled.

"I was under the impression that that was a love song, but I think you just made it into a battle anthem," he remarked with a smirk.

Wufei turned his glare to Heero.

"At least _you_ weren't made to sing such a ridiculous and pathetic song." He transferred his glare back to Duo. "What kind of torture did you pick out for Trowa?"

Duo shrugged. "I didn't. He doesn't want to sing."

The entire table looked at Duo in shock.

"None of us want to sing!" Wufei exploded in anger.

"Sure – but this _was_ your birthday present to me. So of course I was gonna make you sing. And Heero's my brother, so he expected some torture as well. But Trowa's just an innocent bystander. I'm not going to force him to get up there and sing. Especially since he hates it."

Trowa was frowning. "I never told you I didn't like to sing."

"No, but you don't, do you?"

"No."

"So, there we go."

"This is only because you – "

"Hey. Wufei, chill out. It was one song. You never have to do it again." There was a warning look in Duo's gaze, and Wufei backed down.

"You owe me," he announced.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Okay, whatever. And speaking of – I'll get the next round." Duo made his escape from the table.

"You really were terrible," Heero told Wufei.

"At least I wasn't off pitch," Wufei sniffed.

"You took one of the sappiest love songs and turned it into the angriest, most bitter performance ever," Trowa pointed out.

"If you think you can do better…" Wufei trailed off and gestured towards the stage.

"No thanks."

"I didn't realize you had stage fright," Heero said, turning to Trowa.

"Not so much. I just… really hate to sing. I'm terrible at it."

"I find that hard to believe."

Wufei wanted to roll his eyes at Heero's behavior, but he caught himself in time. Despite Duo's opinions to the contrary, it was all too obvious to Wufei that Heero was crazy about Trowa, and that Trowa would be a good match for him.

"All right, here we go. Jaeger for the brave souls who sang – and a shot of tequila to convince Trowa to get up there." Duo deposited the shots in front of each of them, setting another tequila shot in front of himself. "To me!" He announced.

Wufei scowled but clinked his shot glass together with the other three and then downed it.

"Well, now that you're done torturing us, I'm going to head home." Heero stood up. "Want to share a cab?" He directed the question to Trowa.

"Sure." Trowa shrugged and stood as well. "I appreciate you not making me sing," he said to Duo, a slight smile on his face.

"This time," Duo responded and grinned. "Have a good night."

Wufei debated trying to leave as well, but as soon as he started to move, Duo clamped down on his arm.

"Oh no, you aren't getting out of it that easily. You and I need to talk."

Wufei sighed.

"Fine. Say whatever you feel the need to say."

"So, you've never been with another guy? Not sex, not, ah, anything?"

"No. I've never wanted to."

"So… do you find men attractive?"

Wufei really didn't want to continue this conversation, but he knew Duo, and he knew that simply answering his questions was the quickest way to end this.

"I find men attractive, but I've only ever been interested in Heero."

"Okay…so…go for it. Try it."

"No. I can't…" Wufei tried to put it into terms that Duo would understand. "I won't be seen as weak."

"What? Come on. This isn't about being weak."

"Yes, it is. I'm not going to… beg Heero."

Duo frowned, and Wufei realized that he was explaining this wrong.

"Duo, your first time with a guy… what was it like?"

"Well, it wasn't amazing. Neither one of us knew what the fuck we were doing." Duo grinned and shook his head. "But we tried a couple of times, figured it out."

"I'm not going to try a couple of times and figure it out with Heero. I'm not going to be some… stupid virgin. That's no way to convince him we should be together. Assuming he has any interest at all. Which is assuming a great deal."

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Okay – Wufei, you're hot. Seriously, you are. You and Heero click on every level – except, of course, the physical, because you've never given it a chance. Just go for it. He's not going to…look down on you for being a virgin."

"I do. We have to be equals."

"Okay, well, go out and get laid then."

Wufei looked at Duo, a plan forming in his mind. Duo caught on almost instantly.

"Oh no, no, no, no."

"Why not? You're experienced. I trust you… to an extent. You aren't Heero, but you _are_ attractive."

"Wow, thanks, buddy."

"So?"

"Wufei, this is a really, really stupid idea."

"If you honestly think that Heero and I would be a good match, then I need your help."

Duo closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Such a bad idea." He sighed. "Okay. But if we do this – and you, you know, enjoy it – you've _got_ to tell Heero."

"Tell him that I had sex with you?"

"No. For the love of God, don't do that. Tell him how you feel about him."

"I can live with those terms. When?"

"No time like the present, right? Nat's already spending the night with Celia."

Wufei frowned, considering. Now that this crazy idea had come to this point, he was suddenly unsure.

"Or you could just wait, and have sex with Heero, after you tell him that you've been obsessed with him since the day you first saw him." Duo's suggestion filled Wufei with dread.

"Tonight is fine."

Duo shook his head, but stood and laid down enough money to cover their bill and a generous tip.

"Alright, let's do this then."

* * *

Wufei had never been to any of the Brownstones, or anywhere that Duo had lived on his own. He remembered that Duo's room at the Upper West Side apartment had been filled with posters from his favorite bands, and crammed with books. He had expected a similar style of clutter in Duo's home, but was shocked to see how well organized and elegantly decorated it was.

"This is nice," Wufei said as they stepped into the foyer.

"Thanks. I spent years renovating these – not that I did _much_ of the manual labor myself."

"What are you doing with the rest of them?" Wufei asked. He hadn't even thought about these houses since the reading of the will.

Duo shrugged. "I think I'll probably sell them – with the stipulation that if the owner ever sells they have to approach me first so that I have the option to buy them back. I just… I want people to live here that are going to appreciate them, you know?" Duo looked self-conscious.

"I understand." And Wufei did.

"So… I don't know about you, but the cab ride kind of killed my buzz. Let me grab some wine and we'll head upstairs."

"Trying to get me drunk?" Wufei asked, only half in jest.

"Nah. Just relaxed."

Wufei followed Duo through the house, admiring the kitchen and the wine cellar before Duo made his selection and they headed upstairs.

Duo's bedroom was another surprise. It was sparse, the furniture a dark mahogany, and the linens were a rich gold color. Across from the bed hung a photograph of a tennis player in mid serve. It reminded Wufei of the photograph that Heero had given him of the baseball player.

"Is this -?"

"Yeah. Birthday present from Heero. From Ralph. Who, instead of being perfect for my brother, turned out to be an asshole."

"Heero told you?" Wufei was surprised. Duo opened the bottle of red wine and poured each of them a glass. He handed one to Wufei before taking a sip from his own.

"No, Ralph did. Called to apologize for his behavior." Duo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "He's got a great eye, but turns out he's a shit human being. Anyway. I'll be right back. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable." Duo walked further into the room, down a hall.

Wufei set the wine glass down and sat on the bed. The mattress was not as firm as his own, but it felt nice.

He wondered just how many men Duo had slept with on this very bed. He wondered why this had seemed like such a good idea before. Now that he was here, the prospect of sleeping with Duo was infinitely more daunting.

With a sigh, Wufei stood up and emptied his pockets onto the dresser, setting his cellphone, wallet, and keys in a neat pile. He then started to undress, neatly folding his pants and shirt and laying them on the chair beside the bed. He was down to his boxers when Duo came back in, a box of condoms and a bottle of lubricant in his hands.

"Er – wow. That was fast."

Wufei frowned. "I didn't know – "

"No, no. I mean, you aren't changing at the gym, you know. Part of the fun is undressing each other. Well, sometimes it's nice to skip that part." Duo smirked and Wufei rolled his eyes.

"Spare me your fantasies of screwing Trowa."

"I wasn't – forget it." Duo put his supplies down nightstand on the opposite side of the bed.

"Why don't you keep those in there?" Wufei asked, with a nod to the nightstand.

"Well, Sara dusts the furniture pretty often. I don't want her opening the drawer and finding my stash."

"Where do you keep them?"

"The bathroom."

"And she never cleans the bathroom."

Duo flushed.

"Well –"

"Duo, she's been with you since you were five. I'm fairly confident she knows that you are gay."

"It's not that! It's just – would you want your mom to find your stash of porn? That's what it would feel like!"

Wufei rolled his eyes.

"Well? What happens now?" He asked.

Duo sighed and took a very healthy sip of his wine.

"So, you're worried that you won't enjoy physical intimacy with another man."

"Yes."

Duo came around to Wufei's side of the bed and stood before him, a slight frown on his face.

"Tell me, what parts of a man's body do you find the most attractive?"

The question made Wufei stiffen. He did not want to analyze himself with Duo.

"Relax. Drink more wine." Duo coaxed.

Wufei took another sip of from his glass, enjoying the slight flush of heat from the sharp red.

"The shoulders," he said at last.

Duo nodded and reached out, laying the fingers of both hands on each of Wufei's shoulders. He traced the muscles and bones lightly and Wufei shivered at the sensation.

"Me too. I love this line – " Duo demonstrated by running his right thumb over Wufei's collar bone, tracing it outwards to the edge of his shoulder.

"Mhm."

Duo smiled slightly and tugged Wufei closer to him.

"What else?" He asked, his fingers tracing patterns onto Wufei's skin. The feeling was pleasantly distracting.

"The entire torso," Wufei confessed.

Duo smirked widely now.

"Yeah. Nothing like a toned upper torso – and narrow hips, right? God I love the feeling of hard muscle under skin, you know?" As if to emphasize his point, Duo's hands shifted downwards, tracing over Wufei's pectoral muscles and down to his abdominal muscles. One hand came down to rest on Wufei's hip and gave a squeeze.

"How about the mouth?" Duo suggested. "Do you find that attractive? Do you like the idea of having another man's lips on yours? Tasting you? Exploring your body?"

Wufei thought it was criminal how aroused he was becoming just at Duo's voice and insinuations.

"Yes," he ground out.

Duo used the hand on Wufei's hip to jerk their bodies together.

"Good." Duo said just as he brushed his lips over Wufei's, firm and yet tentative. The sensation shocked Wufei for a moment. It was completely different than kissing a woman. Duo pulled away slightly, examining him, and then leaned in again. This time as his lips opened slightly over Wufei's own, his tongue teased over Wufei's mouth.

Wufei opened his mouth, suddenly eager to taste Duo, to have Duo taste him. His hands found their way up to Duo's shoulders, and he pulled the other man closer.

The touch of Duo's tongue to his was electric, and Wufei groaned in exhilaration. He wasn't repulsed by the feeling of Duo's body, so hot and hard, pressed against his own. He very much wanted to feel Duo's skin against his own. He started to unbutton Duo's shirt and smoothed it off of his shoulders, reveling in the feel of his skin.

Duo abruptly pulled away.

"We can't do this."

Wufei scowled.

"I can," he insisted.

Duo shook his head.

"No, I mean – I can't. I can't do this to you."

"I _want_ you to."

"No, you don't. You want Heero to – you're just afraid of his rejection." Duo eased back and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm not afraid of his rejection. I'm afraid of my own." Wufei insisted. However, Duo was partially right – Wufei was still convinced that Heero would have no interest in him, and that this entire exercise was futile.

"Wufei. I know that you're Heero's best friend, and that most of the time you wish I'd just crawl into a hole and die, but, to be honest, you're one of my oldest friends. If we do this – you'll never talk to me again."

Wufei started to interrupt, but Duo gave him a hard look.

"You know it's true. If you enjoy it, you'll wish you had waited and tried it with Heero instead. If you don't, then you'll be so embarrassed by this whole thing that you'll avoid me for the rest of our lives. I'm really not prepared to sacrifice your snarky comments over one night of sex."

He took a moment to examine the situation, and Wufei could admit that Duo was right. He would regret it. He sighed and sat back down on the bed.

"I don't know what to do," he confessed.

Duo sat down beside him, leaving his shirt unbuttoned.

"Well, I really think you've got to tell him how you feel."

"But – "

"Wufei. We just established that you enjoy being touched by another man, and you sure as hell seemed eager to touch me, so I'm betting that you're not going to be disappointed in physical intimacy with Heero." Duo smirked. "And you kiss _way_ different than I ever thought you would. Man, Fei, you are _hot_."

It pleased him that Duo would say so, but Wufei was still unsettled by the entire evening: his confession, this aborted liaison.

"He might genuinely prefer someone like Trowa."

"What does that mean?" Duo demanded. Wufei could tell that he was preparing to become defensive again.

"Someone who looks like that."

"Wufei, I don't know if Heero has a thing for Asian men or not, but generally speaking, as far as looks go, you can definitely hold your own. Yeah, Trowa's kind of exceptional there – but you definitely aren't ordinary. I mean, hell, your body looks like a freaking sculpture, and your skin is the most amazing color. And – okay, I'm not going to start describing you to yourself. You need to accept the fact that you are an attractive guy and have a lot to offer."

Wufei scowled.

"You truly don't think that Heero and Trowa are well matched? If you did, you would want them to be together, wouldn't you?"

"Fuck, Wufei, I don't know. I mean – I want Heero to be happy. He deserves to be with a guy who makes every day worth living. I want that for him. If it was Trowa, I… Fuck. I don't know. But it's not. I'm telling you. Trowa and Heero are _not_ meant to be together." Duo shrugged. "And maybe Trowa and I aren't meant to be together, either, but… Wufei, he's an incredible guy. I want him in my life."

Duo sounded completely sincere, and also completely lost. Wufei wasn't used to seeing Duo without his usual exuberance and self-confidence.

"I don't want you to crawl in a hole and die." Wufei sighed. "I also consider you to be one of my oldest and closest friends. I actually trust you, much more than I give you credit for."

The words seemed to restore some of Duo's natural good humor.

"Look, it's late, why don't you stay the night?" Duo suggested when Wufei yawned.

Wufei arched a skeptical eye at the bed.

"In one of the guest rooms. They've got fresh sheets on them. Tomorrow's Tuesday – you can go home, grab a change of clothes, and meet us at the gym for tennis. No problem."

Wufei considered it and then nodded.

"I appreciate it."

"What are friends for?" Duo said with a smile. He stood and gathered up Wufei's pile of clothing. He shook his head. "Seriously, we need to get that stick out of your ass and get you to live a little."

Wufei followed Duo from the room and down the hall to a smaller, though equally well furnished, guest room.

Duo set the clothes down on top of another chair.

"How's your Dad doing?" He asked.

Wufei sighed.

"Out of the hospital and recovering at home. He's…not the same." To even consider the man that his father had become caused Wufei physical pain. He was nothing more than an empty shell, staring lifelessly at Wufei and his mother, completely detached from his former life. He had been defeated, and it ate at Wufei that the man he had most admired had been so completely destroyed. It shook his confidence not only in himself, but in all things.

"We'll get Treize, okay?" Duo promised.

Wufei nodded, his throat suddenly tight.

Duo pulled him into a fierce hug. The sensation was very different with so few clothes between them, but Wufei relished the physical comfort in any case.

Duo kissed him again. The gesture was almost friendly, and Wufei found himself kissing Duo back, feeling the smile of the other man against his lips.

"You're a natural," Duo promised him, winking as he stepped away. "Sleep well, okay?"

Wufei nodded and Duo left him, closing the door softly behind him.

Sighing, Wufei climbed under the comforter, enjoying the weight and warmth of it against his suddenly cold body. He felt very alone, laying there, contemplating his future and the choices he needed to make.

* * *

Next up: Some new experiences.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Chapter 14**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A Little Less Normal

**Chapter XIV**

Duo woke to the sound of a phone ringing. With a groan, he opened his eyes. His bedside clock informed him that it was only six A.M. Since Natalie wasn't here, he had intended to sleep in until seven this morning, and he was irritated to receive a phone call at such an ungodly hour. He debated ignoring it, but the sudden thought that it might be ABOUT Natalie had him rolling out of the bed and searching for the phone.

He found it on the dresser and answered it grumpily.

"Hello?"

There was a moment of silence on the line, and Duo held the phone away from his face to see the caller ID. As he did so, he realized that the phone was most definitely not his. He saw Heero's name on the screen, and cold dread settled into his stomach.

"Duo."

"Yeah, hey, morning!" Mentally, Duo was cursing and trying to figure out what to say.

"This is Wufei's phone." Heero's tone of voice was about as cold and hard as Duo had ever heard it.

"Er, yeah, I guess it is."

"I was calling to make sure he got home after last night."

"Oh, um, he's fine." This was not getting any better, and Duo just wanted this conversation to end.

"Tell him I called."

"Sure thing."

Heero hung up and Duo slumped against his dresser.

"Shit. Fucking shit!" Duo picked up the phone, the keys, and the wallet that all belonged to Wufei and stormed out of his room.

He knocked on the room he had shown Wufei to the night before and then opened the door.

"Enter." He heard Wufei say after a moment.

Duo opened the door and found Wufei sitting on the side of the bed, his shoulder length hair sleep tousled.

"Morning, champ."

"Good morning." Wufei was scowling. "I don't usually sleep this late. I didn't set my alarm last night."

"Yeah, that'd be because you left your phone in my room. And of course, your good buddy Heero called a few minutes ago to see if you made it home last night."

Wufei's eyes widened comically. Or at least, it would have been comical under different circumstances.

"Yep. I didn't realize it was your phone until after I answered it. So…yeah. He wanted me to let you know he called."

"What did you tell him?"

Duo shrugged. "Not much of anything. Wasn't a really long conversation. I think he was too busy plotting ways to kill me to do much small talking."

Wufei's scowl became even more pronounced.

"So…I'm going to head in to work early and do some damage control. I, ah, don't know if we'll be playing tennis today."

"He thinks I slept with you."

"Well, yeah, I'm pretty sure that was the only conclusion he could come to when I answered your phone at six in the morning after we spent the night out drinking."

"Shit."

Wufei didn't swear often, and when he did, it usually amused Duo. Again, however, the circumstances this morning weren't quite ripe for humor.

"Right. Um, Sara will be up and about soon – she can make you breakfast or you can just head out on your own. The bathroom should have any toiletries you need, if you want to take a shower."

"I should talk to him."

"No!" Duo shook his head emphatically. "No, let me talk to him first. No offense, but him talking to you is only going to make things worse."

"I can explain what happened."

"Trust me on this. I've had _years_ of experience pissing off Heero. Right now, he's mad at me. If _you_ talk to him – try to defend or explain – then he's going to get pissed off at you. And really, please take my word for this, you do _not_ want Heero pissed off at you."

Duo could see that Wufei was still skeptical. He sighed.

"Look, right now, Heero's probably mentally cataloguing all of the depraved things I could have done to you last night. You add your voice to that – it's not going to be pretty. Just, let me deal with this."

Still reluctant, Wufei finally nodded.

"Thanks. Okay, I'm going to shower."

"Thank you for the schedule update," Wufei muttered.

"Someone's snarky in the morning."

Wufei glared and Duo chuckled at him.

"Alright. See ya."

Duo left Wufei and returned to his own room. His shower was much shorter than normal, and he wound up braiding his hair wet instead of blow drying it. The suit and tie he threw on were not coordinated with his usual flair, but he was anxious to get to Heero and do damage control before his brother had had too much time to bury himself in dark thoughts.

When he went downstairs, Wufei was in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee and eating a piece of toast. Sara was browning another piece of toast on the stove in a pan, and the look she shot Duo as he entered was not a pleasant one.

"Morning." He tried a smile, but it died as her look became even harsher. Clearly, she did not approve.

"Good morning." She deposited the toast and a glass of orange juice in front of him. She gave Wufei a look, and then turned on her heels and marched out of the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," Duo said. He wondered if the two had spoken before he entered.

"Hm."

"She's kind of a big fan of Trowa's – so… yeah."

"Everyone is a fan of his."

"Including you, you know."

Wufei scowled.

"I know."

"Look, I'm serious – stop comparing yourself to him. You and Heero completely click. Just – forget about him. He doesn't matter in this."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"You aren't at all curious about why Heero called me at six in the morning?"

Duo frowned. "Well, he said he wanted to make sure you got home okay."

"Because I'm not thirty-one, and haven't gotten MUCH more drunk many times in my life before. I wasn't even really drunk."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Heero is even less of a morning person than I am. He wouldn't be calling just to chat."

"Still not following you."

"Heero and Trowa left together last night. Who's to say they didn't go home together?"

The thought hadn't even crossed Duo's mind and he wished Wufei had never said it. The instant mental image that arose in his mind was not one he wanted.

"What, so Heero calls you the morning after he gets laid to brag?" Duo sneered.

Wufei shrugged. "Not usually. But he's been after Trowa for a while. Maybe it was momentous enough that he wanted to share."

"Why the fuck are you saying this?"

"Because it's likely what happened. Last night – this entire fiasco – all for nothing. Heero's got Trowa and now he's happy and completely out of my reach."

Duo could not deal with the thought that his brother might have slept with Trowa, or the possibility that Trowa might have slipped away from him.

"Fuck. Okay – you suck in the mornings. Seriously, we are never doing this again. I've got to go."

Wufei nodded and looked as depressed as Duo felt.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Wufei! Snap out of it. If you've really been in love with my brother for more than twenty years then you need to fight for him. Who gives a fuck if he and Trowa had one night of drunken sex – they won't e _ver_ make it as a couple. Pull yourself together."

The speech seemed to have an effect on Wufei, because he glared at Duo. The fact that Duo was devastated by the idea of them having one night of drunken sex, well, that wasn't something Wufei needed to know.

"Good. That's the Wufei I'm used to." On instinct, and because he knew the opportunity wasn't likely to arise again, Duo kissed him. Wufei stiffened, obviously surprised, but after a moment he relaxed into the kiss.

Duo pulled away. "Well, I'll see you later." He made his escape before Wufei could say anything else dark and depressing.

Heero's office was empty. It was seven-thirty on a Tuesday morning, and knowing Heero, there was no logical explanation for why he wouldn't already be chained to his desk. Either he had been involved in a fatal car accident or he had decided to stay in bed and fuck Trowa all day instead of working.

Duo winced at his own thoughts. By eight there was still no sign of Heero – or Trowa – and Duo pulled out his cell phone to text Trowa.

'Did I miss the memo about not working today?'

He was relieved by the instant reply.

'Did I miss the memo about you showing up before noon today?'

'Seriously. Where are you? Do you know where Heero is?'

'Coffee run. He's had a rough morning. We are on our way back.'

Duo sighed. It was nice to know that they weren't currently screwing like bunnies, but it didn't mean that they hadn't been.

When Heero's office door opened five minutes later to admit them, Duo stood up.

"Morning," he greeted them.

Heero's glare could have frozen the sun. Trowa looked between them, clearly sensing the instant tension. Duo tried to look for signs that they might have just slept with each other – but he really didn't know what he was looking for.

"Morning," Trowa replied cautiously.

"Ah, Heero, can we talk about –"

"Duo, I'm working. What you do with your life is clearly no concern of mine. I don't have time to listen to your exploits."

Trowa's eyes widened.

"Okay, look, there was no 'exploit' – this is all just a misunderstanding. I can tell that you've already made this into the worse possible scenario, and I need to explain what happened before you get yourself any more worked up about –"

"Worked up? You _fucked_ my best friend. My _straight_ best friend. You got him drunk and you –"

"I didn't! Jesus Christ, Heero! I didn't sleep with him!"

Heero was breathing heavily, and the coffee cup in his hand looked in danger of exploding under the force of his grip. Heero seemed to realize it, because he set it down.

"Why exactly did you answer his cell phone at six A.M. if he wasn't with you?" Heero's tone was measured, and Duo knew that it meant he was even angrier now.

"Look, Heero –"

"Why?"

"Okay, one, it's not really your concern where Wufei spends his nights. Two, he left it in my room after we talked."

"You talked."

"Yeah."

"Wufei went home with you and the two of you sat in your room and talked. Because you're thirteen year old girls."

"Okay, maybe we di – " before Duo could even finish the thought Heero's hands were fisted into his shirt.

"Why did you do it?" Heero demanded. "Why couldn't you let me – even Wufei? What –"

"It didn't mean anything! We –" Duo instantly realized it was the wrong thing to say. Heero's fist connecting with his nose only reinforced the point.

"God damnit. You broke my fucking nose!" Duo shouted. At least, that's what he tried to say. The sharp, intensely throbbing pain distracted him almost as much as the blood he could feel dribbling down his face.

"We didn't do anything! For fuck's sake, learn how to listen before you jump to conclusions. We talked. We kissed. That was IT. It didn't mean anything because it wasn't anything!"

Heero shoved him backwards and Duo had a hard time staying on his feet.

"You kissed him."

"Yes." There was no point denying it, and Duo wanted to be honest, but the look of complete devastation on Heero's face made him rethink that desire.

"Wufei is straight."

"Yeah, well, not so much it turns out."

"You."

"I didn't seduce him or anything – it wasn't – Heero. It was nothing."

"Why you?"

It wasn't the time for snappy comebacks, so Duo remained silent.

"It's always you, though, isn't it? Every time." Heero's voice was bitter and his entire posture suggested defeat. "Just once – why – " Heero shook his head. He turned away from Duo and looked at Trowa. "I'm going to work from home today. If anything gets resolved with the Munich situation, please let me know."

"Heero."

His brother shook his head and collected his briefcase.

"I can't talk to you right now, Duo."

Without another word, Heero left the office.

"Fucking hell." Duo collapsed into a chair, wincing as the motion set off a fresh wave of pain.

"You should go to a doctor," Trowa said, his voice mild.

Duo looked over at him.

"I bet this was just the most delightful morning of your life," he muttered.

Trowa shrugged. "Top five, without a doubt."

Duo chuckled, but stopped instantly at the pain.

"Damn. He hasn't punched me in years. I forgot just how much it fucking hurts."

"It's also disgusting. Please, go to a doctor."

Duo grinned.

"You got a problem with blood?"

"I've got a problem seeing it all over your face, yes."

That made Duo grin even wider, especially when Trowa's eyes narrowed. He clearly hadn't meant to say that.

"Why don't you come with me?"

"Are you asking me on a date? To the ER?"

"What can I say? I'm a classy guy."

"Yeah, classy is how I'd describe a guy who just confessed to making out with his brother's best friend. His straight best friend."

Duo winced. "Yeah, about that. Um, talking right now kind of hurts. Can we do that after I've got some painkillers in my system?"

Trowa nodded.

"Thanks."

The ride over to Dr. Greenfeld's office was quiet, but relaxed. Duo was grateful for how Trowa seemed to be taking the entire situation in stride, or, at the very least, not jumping to conclusions. Or maybe, Duo realized, he simply didn't care. Maybe he HAD spent last night with Heero, and Duo's escapades were of no concern to him anymore.

"You didn't sleep with Heero."

Trowa hazarded a glance at him.

"I thought the talking was going to wait."

"Trowa. Did you sleep with my brother?"

"Heero's a good guy. He's also a little single minded in pursuing me." Trowa shrugged. "When we got to my apartment last night, he came up. He, ah, seems to be under the impression that I'm no longer involved with anyone. So – "

"Okay, I don't want to hear anymore." Duo swallowed hard against the sudden desire to scream. There was something nasty churning in his stomach, and he didn't want to think about just how deeply this cut into him.

"Well, I'm not done talking yet."

Duo sighed. Perhaps he deserved to hear the details, to hear just how much better his brother was.

"So we talked. We had a few more drinks. We watched Sports Center. I told him that yeah, I'd broken up with my boyfriend, but I wasn't available. Or interested. He's a great guy. But I'm not – "

Duo risked death and extreme pain to lean over and kiss Trowa. It wasn't the best kiss he had ever experienced. In fact, it wasn't very pleasant due to the blood caked around his nose and his swollen skin, but it was still incredible. Especially when Trowa kissed him back just before he pushed him away.

"You're driving," Trowa reminded him.

Duo grinned, not caring about the pain, but turned back to the road.

When they arrived at Greenfeld's office, Duo was experiencing a rather giddy high. He knew it was because of the adrenaline coursing through his system, but he also suspected that Trowa's admission was fueling it as well.

Trowa, meanwhile, was looking at him with good-natured disdain.

"I've never seen you like this," Trowa said after Duo grinned at him for the third time, for absolutely no reason other than he was there.

"Yeah, well, I try not to let Heero break my nose too often."

"How often has he?"

"Twice –well, this makes three times. He loves to aim for my nose. It's cuz he's jealous of my ridiculously good looks, you know."

"I'm sure."

Dr. Greenfeld entered a few moments later and shook his head at Duo's appearance.

"Duo. We need to stop meeting like this."

"I know!"

Greenfeld patiently worked to reset Duo's nose – after giving him an injection of pain killers – and clean him up.

"It's going to be swollen and tender for a few days. But it looks like it should heal very well. A slight deviation, but actually, this realigns your nose just a bit from the last time you came in here."

"Thanks, Doc!"

Greenfeld ignored Duo and turned to Trowa.

"You should be warned that Duo's body doesn't metabolize pain killers very quickly. He's likely to be… a little obnoxious for the next few hours."

Duo slid off the table and stumbled. Trowa used one hand to steady him.

"He'll also need looking after."

Duo grinned up at Trowa, who rolled his eyes.

"I'll take care of him," Trowa assured the doctor.

"Thanks, Tro!" Duo leaned in, but Trowa held him off with a warning look.

"Duo, take care, and try not to pick any more fights with your brother. You are getting too old for this."

"I promise."

Greenfeld shook his head and then waved his hand in dismissal.

It took some coaxing, but Duo finally surrendered his car keys to Trowa and the much more sober man drove them to Central Park at Duo's request. He wasn't in the shape or the mood to do any work, and since Trowa was stuck babysitting him, he wanted to at least spend the time doing something pleasant.

With a little more coaxing, Trowa joined Duo laying in the grass near one of the many small ponds. Duo closed his eyes and relaxed, relishing the sunlight above him and the feel of Trowa beside him. There were several inches between them, but Trowa's arm was pressed against his own, and his head was angled closely enough that if Duo rolled his head they could bump foreheads.

"So, about last night."

"Your night of drunken debauchery."

"If that's what we're calling it."

"I think so, yes, at least for the foreseeable future."

Duo grinned. He had missed Trowa's sense of humor. Had missed talking to him.

"God, I miss you," he said out loud.

"I'm not sure how that fits into last night. Unless you're telling me that you were using Wufei as a substitute for me."

"No! No way." Duo shook his head."No such thing as a substitute for you." He sighed. "So, last night, Wufei and I got to talking. About how perfect he thought you and Heero were for each other. I definitely disagreed with that, and I sort of told him about us. And then Wufei confessed that he's been in love with Heero since they first met, when they were…eight, I think"

"And?"

"What do you mean 'and'? Wufei's been in love with my brother for more than twenty years – that's kind of crazy."

"No it isn't. It was obvious as soon as I met Wufei. I just figured he wasn't the type to admit to being gay."

"Yeah, well, turns out the problem isn't that he's ashamed of being gay. He's ashamed of being a virgin – I mean, you know, a gay virgin. Because obviously he had sex with Meilin. Probably more than once, come to think of it."

"Probably," Trowa agreed drolly.

"Anyway, so he tells me that he can't tell Heero how he feels because he's afraid that he won't actually ENJOY the physical aspects of…physical aspects, you know."

"I know." The humor in Trowa's voice was enough to make Duo grin.

"So, he sort of…well, he – "

Trowa suddenly sat up and leaned over Duo, blocking out the sun.

"He asked you to sleep with him. So he could figure out if he would enjoy it."

"Yeah. Exactly."

The humor had left Trowa's face.

"So we went back to my place. We ah, you know, kissed some. It was pretty obvious he was enjoying himself. So, I stopped. I, ah, I dunno, it just felt wrong. You know? I mean, he's crazy about Heero, and I'm crazy about you, and it was just – anyway, then we talked,' bout you and me, and him, and then I put him up in the guest room. But he left his cell phone in my room, and this morning I answered it, and it was Heero, and Heero being Heero, he jumped to conclusions… and I got my nose broken again." Duo paused. "You don't find this funny anymore."

"Wufei shouldn't have asked you to do that."

"I know! He should have just grown a pair and asked HEERO to do it. That's what I told him last night – and what I said again this morning."

"He treated you like a whore." Trowa's voice was back to that same flat tone he had used when confronting Alima Fontaine.

"Er, I wouldn't go that far. He was asking me for a favor, as a friend."

"Duo, he was using you. He was _trying_ to, anyway. A friend doesn't ask that of you. He KNEW you weren't interested in him, that you were still invested in me. He wasn't interested in you, he just wanted to use your experience and your body."

"No, seriously, it's not – well, when you put it like that – but –"

"Duo. He shouldn't have put you in that position."

The look that Trowa was giving him was hard to decipher.

"I know you slept with Zechs," he blurted out.

Trowa winced and leaned away, turning slightly so that Duo could only see his profile.

"I'm sorry. You deserve someone better than me."

"No, for fuck's sake, not this again. I – fuck, I don't know why I said it. I slept with him too, okay. Last week, when I met him for dinner to talk about a PR contract."

Trowa's shoulders stiffened.

"See? Now I _am_ a whore. Just like Wufei –"

"No, you aren't." Trowa's voice was fierce. "You aren't. You're nothing like me. Nothing like that."

"Sure. That's why everyone in my family is convinced that I sleep with a new guy every week and don't care about anything but fucking my way through Manhattan."

Trowa scowled. "Why do they think that? That isn't you."

"Well, once upon a time, there was a young man. He was ridiculously good looking, and very charming. He grew up in a very loving and very sexually repressive household. So, when he went away to college – "

"Where did you go to college?" Trowa interrupted.

"-When he went away to Northwestern – he decided to live his life just as he had always wanted to. He went to a lot of parties, and met a lot of other good looking guys. He fell into bed with them very often, and didn't bother to really get to know any of them. But there was one who was different. The young man thought he was special. It turns out, he was. Because this good looking guy just happened to be an undercover tabloid reporter. And this good looking guy managed to convince the young man to have sex with him while he filmed it and photographed it. It wasn't long before the good looking guy went to the young man's father and blackmailed him into paying half a million dollars for the film and the photographs. The young man's father was very, _very_ disappointed. And the young man's brother and his best friend were also disappointed, but they were also amused, because they had always known that the young man was stupid, and would get taught a lesson for his slutty ways. And so, ever since then, the young man has been living with the fact that he is an idiot, and that he was a slut, and that he doesn't trust any good looking guys enough to tell them who he really is." Duo sighed. The high from the pain killers had started to fade.

"You trusted me."

"And then, one day, the young man spilled coffee all over the most good looking guy he had ever met. And he knew, beyond a doubt, that THIS good looking guy really was different. Really was special."

"I cheated on you."

Duo sighed. "It took the young man a while, but he realized that as amazing, and different, and special as this good looking guy was, he was also damaged. Not the same way the young man had been, but differently. This good looking guy didn't have trust issues, not like the young man. His issues had more to do with the fact that he didn't realize just how amazing he was, just how much he deserved in life. See, this good looking guy had lost his parents when he was very young, and a seriously fucked up man tried to convince the guy that his loss wasn't as important as letting an idiot get away with killing them. The guy didn't believe the man, not at first, but then, after the guy met the most incredible person in the world – second most, but at the time, he hadn't met the young man, so he didn't realize he was wrong – and the guy fell in love with this incredible person. But then this incredible person left him, and the guy started to think that maybe he wasn't worth the effort, maybe he wasn't as special and amazing as his sister told him, or as his parents used to tell him. The guy was lost and unhappy, and when he met another good looking guy, who, even then, the guy knew was another seriously fucked up man, he started to believe this fucked up man when he told him that all he was good for was sex, that he wasn't worth the time or effort for more. But then – just like the guy had always dreamed – the incredible person calls him and needs his help. So he rushes to the rescue, knowing that _now_ he's special, now he can be amazing. But then something happens – sorry, I don't know this part."

Trowa sighed. "And then the guy spends the next two years waking up every morning, convinced that THIS will be the day that the incredible guy realizes that he is special and amazing enough to defy his family and be with. But after two years, one night, the incredible person introduces him to a beautiful princess and tells the guy that he is going to marry the princess. So now, the guy knows that he won't ever be special and amazing enough. So he leaves."

"Right. So then he leaves. And he's sad for a while, until he meets the a _ctual_ most incredible person in the world. It takes them a while, but the guy and the young man realize that even though they're both damaged and a little broken, they're really good for each other. And they're both special and amazing enough. Especially the guy."

Trowa's entire posture was stiff, and Duo didn't know if he should keep talking or wait for Trowa to say something.

"Please tell me that isn't Nat's bedtime story or something."

"Nah, it isn't frightening enough for her. But I AM shopping it around for a book deal."

Trowa smiled slightly.

"I'm not amazing or special. I'm just me."

Duo sat up and positioned himself in front of Trowa, waiting until the other man looked at him.

" _You_ are just you. And _you_ is amazing and special." Duo winced. "Sorry about the grammar. Look, I get that you've had a lot of shitty things happen to you, and that people in your life haven't always appreciated just how great you are. But, Trowa, YOU need to realize that they were wrong. You are special. And you're fucking amazing. I swear to God, you're so amazing that I can forgive you for being a Red Sox fan AND for thinking that Luke Skywalker is a better pilot than Wedge Antilles. And that's saying something."

Trowa's lips twitched.

"He IS a better pilot."

"Bullshit. He's got the Force to act as his autopilot. That isn't skill." Duo leaned forward until his forehead was resting against Trowa's. "I'm going to be honest with you, and this might freak you out a bit. But I've been doing some thinking recently."

"You're right, that is a bit scary."

"I want you in my life. I want you in Nat's life. I want us to get a cat, and a dog, and maybe in a few years another kid. I haven't known you for that long, it's true, but I knew from the moment you laughed at my cholera joke that there wasn't anyone more worth spending my life with. So. That's where I am. And I thought you should know."

Trowa was quiet, but he kept his forehead pressed against Duo's. He closed his eyes.

"What did the guy do next?" Trowa asked.

"He did whatever the fuck he wanted to. Because the guy was starting to realize that he was special and amazing and he could do whatever he wanted to with his life, because he deserved to be happy. And even if he didn't want to spend his life with the _most incredible person_ in the world, he could at least know that there was someone out there who KNEW he was worth it."

"It's a good story." Trowa said. He sat back, so that there was distance between them . Duo also straightened up.

"Yeah, well, based on true events." Duo winked.

"Let's get some food in you and then go back to work," Trowa suggested. He stood and brushed grass off of his shirt.

Duo stood as well, refusing to let himself think too much about this. Trowa knew where he was on the issue now, so it was up to him to decide what he wanted to do with it.

They grabbed hot dogs from a street vendor as they walked back to the car.

"Hey, the Red Sox are in town this weekend. I thought I'd take Nat to the game on Saturday, introduce her to the greatest franchise in the history of the world. Any chance you'd like to join us?" Duo asked Trowa as they walked back to his car.

"I told Catherine I'd take the twins on Saturday."

"Bring them. Nat seemed to like them. A lot. You know, I didn't think about it before, but they're the only two kids I've ever heard her talk about in positive terms."

"She doesn't get along well with other kids at school?"

"No, not really. She's always been a target for bullies, because she's small for her age, and because she's such a loner."

"I think they'd like to see her again, too," Trowa said after a moment's consideration.

"Great. I'll see about bargaining for some first base line tickets, then." Duo winced as a sudden thought occurred to him. "You're all going to be wearing Red Sox shirts, aren't you?"

Trowa smirked.

"No other option," he said.

Duo shook his head.

"Damn. Well, I guess I'll risk it." Duo replied with a grin.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quickly, with no word from Heero or Wufei. Or from Trowa, for that matter. When they arrived back at the office he abandoned Duo to sorting through w _hich_ ridiculously boring task to start with and went off to work on the Munich situation – whatever that happened to be.

When Duo arrived home that night, Sara was preparing dinner while Nathalie worked on her homework at the kitchen table.

"Hey, kiddo."

Nathalie looked up and her eyes widened comically when she saw Duo's face.

"What happened to you?"

The shocked tone of her voice caught Sara's attention as well.

"Oh, not again," she muttered and shook her head before turning back to the stove.

"I, ah, did some boxing today. At the gym."

Nathalie frowned. "You look like you lost."

"Yeah, pretty much. Turns out I'm not very good at it."

"How long are you going to look like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like your nose is gross and there's bruises all over your face."

Duo grinned. "Oh, probably the rest of this week at least."

She shook her head. "Embarrassing."

" Alright, now I've got some good news and some bad news."

"Bad news first."

"Alright, bad news is that we're spending Saturday with Trowa, Luc, and Lilly."

Nathalie frowned. "What's the good news then?"

"We're going to see the Yankees crush the Red Sox."

Nathalie rolled her eyes. "Stupid baseball."

"Hey, it's not stupid. It's the greatest game ever invented." Duo nodded at the open math book in front of her. "How are you doing with that?"

She shrugged. "Okay. It's not due until Friday."

"Want me to look over it after dinner?"

She nodded. "If you want to."

"You bet I do. Do you have any idea how much I miss word problems and long division?"

She rolled her eyes.

"You are such a dork."

He smirked at her and ruffled her hair.

"Why don't you set the table for dinner?"

She jumped down off the chair and collected the silverware and napkins from Sara.

"So, about this morning," Duo said as soon as Nathalie was out of the room.

"You don't need to explain anything to me," Sara said.

Duo sighed. "Why is it people always say that when I _do_ have to explain something? Sara, I didn't sleep with him – we –"

"Duo. I know that he slept in the guest bedroom. I changed the sheets this morning. You don't have to explain anything."

"Oh. Okay then. Well. Now that that's settled."

Sara gave him a patronizing look. "What did you say to Heero this time?" She indicated his nose.

Duo sighed. "Nothing much. He's just under the impression that I had my wicked way with Wufei last night."

Sara arched an eyebrow.

"I kissed him, okay? That's it. Nothing more."

"Hm."

Duo rolled his eyes. "In related news, I told Trowa that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him."

Sara's face was inscrutable.

"Well, that's something, then," she said at last.

Duo rolled his eyes.

" You always know what to say to make me feel better."

She smiled.

"Yes, now go sit down so that I can serve dinner."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Over dinner, Nathalie told Duo about her day, and started to ask questions about the upcoming baseball game, the twins, and Trowa.

He was struck by just how different she was from the girl he had rescued weeks ago. He knew, from Hilde, that she was still shy and defensive at school, but even there her façade had cracked and she was participating more in class than she ever had before. And at home she felt confident enough to try and push boundaries and find out what rules she could get away with breaking. She quickly discovered that there wasn't much she could get away with where Sara was concerned, but that Duo was much more lenient with everything except for schoolwork.

Nathalie seemed genuinely excited to have the chance to spend more time with the twins, and Duo made a mental note to investigate the neighborhood and see if there were any appropriate children her age she could become friends with as well. It also reminded him to contact his realtor about selling some of the brownstones. He would request that families with children be considered above others.

After dinner, they spent time going over her math homework. He was incredibly pleased and proud by how well she was doing with it, and he allowed her to stay up for an extra half hour to watch television because of her progress.

He had just looked in on her after her bedtime when he heard the front door bell ring.

He jogged down two flights of stairs and approached his door cautiously. It was nine-thirty on a Tuesday night, and he certainly wasn't expecting any visitors.

When he opened the door he had to strongly resist the urge to immediately close it again.

"We need to talk."

Heero was standing on his door step, wearing jeans and an old Princeton tshirt.

With a sigh, Duo stepped aside and gestured him in.

"No more punching, though. Nat's already convinced I'm a pansy who got the shit kicked out of me by a punching bag. I can't afford to lose anymore street cred with her."

Heero winced. "I didn't think about her."

"Yeah, well. Let's go up to the library." Duo led the way, Heero close behind him.

"You did a good job with the restoration," Heero said.

"Thanks."

Duo gestured Heero towards the leather armchairs by the fireplace and closed the door.

"Can I get you a drink?" Duo asked.

Heero shook his head.

"Okay. So… talk." Duo leaned back against the writing desk on the opposite wall of where Heero sat. He wasn't exactly paranoid, but there was no reason to be closer than necessary, either.

"I'm not really sure where to start."

"The beginning?" Duo suggested.

Heero sighed.

"You've always been better at picking up guys than me."

"Heero –"

"Even guys that I liked, guys you had _nothing_ in common with, you could charm anyone into going out with you."

"I never asked out a guy _because_ you liked him. I never said yes to a guy just _because_ you liked him, either."

"I know that. That's what makes it even worse. Anyone that's ever compared us has always chosen you."

"That's bullshit, and you know it."

Heero gave him a piercing look.

"Alex Mayfair."

Duo winced. That was probably one of the most contentious events in his and Heero's lives. Alex had been a freshman with Heero at Princeton, and had accepted an invitation to visit the Yuy's for Thanksgiving break. Duo had been a senior in high school, and had recently come out to their parents himself. Alex had been dating Heero, but by the end of his four day visit, it was Duo he called and emailed; Duo he arranged to see over Christmas break.

"Yeah, okay. But he was a jerk – and I was a stupid, selfish kid."

"Sam Goldstein."

Duo winced again. Sam had been a grad student with Duo at Columbia, and Duo had introduced him to Heero, convinced the two would hit it off. But, less than a week after Heero had gone on a date with him, Sam had confessed his attraction to Duo. Duo had grown up enough to turn him down, but Heero had still found out.

"And now Wufei."

"Wait, wait, wait. Wufei doesn't like me. He didn't pick me over you. He – wait. YOU like HIM?"

Heero scowled.

"It doesn't matter. I just don't know how to compete with you. I can't –"

"No, no, it does matter," Duo interrupted. "Because the guy is crazy about you."

"Funny way he has of showing it."

"Yeah, well, he's a bit screwy." Duo sighed and sat down in the chair next to Heero's. "It's you he wants. He, ah, well, he's gay – but he's only ever been interested in you, so he's never bothered to experiment with anyone else."

Heero's eyes instantly narrowed.

"So he thought you would be a good candidate?"

"Well, once again, he's a bit screwy. He didn't want to have to compete with Trowa for your attention a _nd_ have to confess to having no fucking clue what he was doing, if he ever _got_ your attention."

"Trowa's out of the picture," Heero said, and the bitterness in his voice was conspicuous.

"Well, maybe that's for the better. I mean… turns out your best friend's been in love with you for twenty years. That's something, right?"

"He tried to use my brother for sex."

"Why does everyone make it sound so wrong?" Duo muttered.

"It is. He should have trusted me. If he truly cared, he would have –"

"Heero. Stop. He does care. He does trust you. It's himself he doesn't trust. He really thought there was a chance that he wouldn't LIKE sex with another man, and he didn't want to find that out with you." Duo shrugged. "He's also about ninety-nine point nine percent convinced that there's no way you would ever be interested in him anyway."

"He's an idiot."

Duo nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry that I hit you."

"I'm sorry I fucked Alex Mayfair. But that was thirteen years ago. I've tried to grow up a little since then."

"I know. I shouldn't have – I just – it's Wufei. I never, in a thousand years, thought there was any possibility he would be interested in men. In ME."

"So, you ARE interested in him, right?" Duo asked.

Heero scowled. "It's complicated. Especially now, after this."

Duo winced.

"Heero, I really think you should talk to him. Don't get too analytical about this. Just… talk."

"Easy enough for you to say." Heero sighed. "I really am sorry about hitting you."

"Yeah, well, I guess I deserved it." Duo shrugged. "Besides, gave me a good excuse to take the morning off, get doped up on painkillers, and lay out in the Park."

Heero shook his head.

"Pathetic."

"Hey – you're the one who went home to _work_. You should have just gone straight to a bar and gotten shit faced."

"I thought about it."

"So… this thing you have for Trowa. Are you over it now?" Duo asked cautiously.

Heero frowned. "It's not a light switch. But he's made it clear that he isn't interested. And now… Wufei has definitely made my life complicated."

"You need some complications in your life."

"Why are you interested in Trowa anyway?"

Duo shrugged. "I dunno. Thought I'd try my luck with him."

Heero frowned. "He's a good lawyer, a real asset to us. And I consider him a friend."

"What, so now I can't kiss _any_ of your friends?" Heero's face was dark. "Too soon, huh?"

"Yes." Heero shook his head. "I should go. I just wanted to talk to you."

"I appreciate you not punching me again."

"It crossed my mind. You acted like an idiot."

"Well, that's me."

"It's not you." Heero sighed. "Thank you for not sleeping with him."

"I couldn't do that to you. Not again."

Heero nodded. "Thank you."

"Anytime, bro, anytime."

* * *

Next up: A surprise visit!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Chapter 15**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: I have no idea if Johnny Damon is guy. In fact, I'm kind of sure that he's either married or has a serious girlfriend. But, that doesn't really work for this story. And, you know, he DOES have the sweetest ass in the league! (Brownie points if you know where that quote is from) If, by some bizarre chance, Mr. Damon or any of his close friends/family/girlfriend/wife are reading this: I mean absolutely NO offense. I'm a big fan of his skills. And his ass. And his hair. And his smile. And the way he wears a uniform. And...you get the picture. And if you don't, Google him.

A Little Less Normal

**Chapter XV**

Friday afternoon found Trowa packing up a few papers to work on over the weekend. The week had passed relatively smoothly after Tuesday's rather calamitous start. Trowa had noticed a pattern in Duo and Heero's relationship – the two would blow up at each other over some event and then reconcile. Following the reconciliation there would be a few days, or weeks, of peace and then the cycle would start over again. He assumed that this had been going on for years, and he wondered if there was any way for them to actually start working together without the explosive tension hovering. He doubted it.

He stopped by Heero's office on his way out, as was his custom. Heero, as was his custom, was still buried in paperwork. Trowa was surprised and relieved that after Monday night, Heero was able to maintain the easy friendship between them. It was, Trowa decided, actually better than before. Gone was the lingering sexual tension, and while Heero might still make a stray, flirtatious comment, he was starting to treat Trowa like a friend and not a potential romantic interest.

"You are going to go home at some point, aren't you?" Trowa asked.

Heero looked up and the corners of his lips lifted.

"I haven't decided yet."

Trowa shook his head. "It'll still be here tomorrow – or even Monday."

Heero sighed bitterly. "I know."

Trowa frowned.

"Why don't you take a break, grab a bite to eat?" He suggested.

Heero started to shake his head, but then shrugged. "Come with me?" He asked.

Their habit of eating lunch together hadn't changed, and they had eaten dinner together last night as well.

"Sure. I could eat."

Heero grinned.

"Good. Pizza?"

Trowa arched an eyebrow.

"Living on the edge, there," he said.

"It's been an interesting week, I could do with a bit of self-indulgence."

They went to an ancient and slightly grimy pizza restaurant a few blocks from the office. Heero claimed that it had the best pizza in New York, and that he had been going there since his youth.

They sat down at a booth that had seen better decades, and Heero ordered a pitcher of beer and a large pepperoni, sausage, and mushroom pie for them.

Trowa was amused that Heero had remembered his pizza preferences from an early conversation of theirs.

"So Duo said you're taking your niece and nephew to the game tomorrow, with him and Nathalie," Heero said.

Trowa nodded. "The kids wanted to see her again, and I couldn't turn down the chance to razz Duo when the Yankees lose."

Heero rolled his eyes. " _When_ the Sox lose he's going to be insufferable."

"If," Trowa corrected with a smirk.

"Your sister isn't going too?"

"Nope. She decided to run away for the weekend. I'm picking up Luc and Lilly tomorrow and she's going out of town until Sunday night." Trowa had been amused by Cathy's fumbling request that he watch them for the night. He had been even more amused when she confessed that she was going to a B&B in Connecticut with Hilde. She had seemed very nervous about him judging her, and very relieved when he had said nothing about her company.

"Have you ever watched them before?"

"Not for so long. Not overnight." He was a little apprehensive about it, especially after remembering the street festival he had taken them to a few weeks ago.

"Good luck."

"Thanks. I'm definitely going to need it."

Heero's phone rang, and Trowa watched with interest as Heero looked at the caller ID and sent the call on to voicemail without answering it.

"Wufei?"

Heero nodded, a grim expression on his face.

"You are going to talk to him at some point." Trowa had seen Heero ignore no fewer than five calls from Wufei since Tuesday, and he wondered when, if ever, the two would talk.

"I am. I just need to figure out what to say to him." Heero sighed and shook his head. He started to say something, and then shrugged. "He was the first boy I ever thought was beautiful. I met him, and I couldn't believe it. I was just a kid – so I didn't really know or care about sex. I just knew that he was the most interesting looking person I had ever seen, and I liked to look at him. And then he became my best friend."

"When did you realize you were gay?" Trowa asked after a waitress had delivered their pizza.

"I'd always known, on some level. I mean, I _never_ found Relena attractive and I was never interested in girls. I stared at other boys in the lockers way more than was normal. I think… I was fifteen the first time I really, _really_ wanted to kiss another boy."

"Did you?"

"Earned myself a fist to the face for it, but yeah, I did." Heero smiled ruefully. "It was another while after that before I came out to my parents. I was sixteen, and there was another guy at school who was openly gay, and I was…inspired, I suppose."

"What happened?"

"When I told him, Odin just looked at me. Didn't say a word, no expression on his face. After I was done, he just got up and walked away. He didn't speak to me for two weeks. Not one word." Heero shrugged. "Then, one day, he came home and asked me about my homework – as if the last two weeks had never happened. And that was the end of it. I was gay and it just became another fact."

"What about Duo?"

"When I came out? He already knew." Heero smirked. "That guy I kissed – back when I was fifteen – he was a friend of Duo's, so he came over to the house a lot. We always talked and hung out, too. I _thought_ he might have been interested in me, I guess I misread the signs. But, anyway, when Tom – the guy – told Duo what happened, he must have said something insulting about me, because the next time I saw Tom he had a black eye and he and Duo never spoke again."

Trowa smirked, imagining a teenaged Duo standing up for his brother.

"When did he come out?"

"After I left for college. He was a senior in high school – he'd been involved with a few guys here and there, but he'd managed to keep it a secret from out parents."

"Why did he wait?"

"Well, he sort of _had_ to tell them, considering what happened. Looking back, I think Duo might have never said anything if he didn't have to. Both of us – Duo and I – worshipped our father. To have him not speak to me for two weeks was the most difficult thing I had ever endured, and I spent every minute of those weeks thinking that I should tell him I was wrong, convincing myself that I should never, ever think about another guy again. For Duo – he lived in fear that he would disappoint Odin. I could barely take the two Odin had done that to Duo, I don't know. I always knew, on some level, that Odin would accept me. Duo's always been afraid that something would make Odin kick him out or reject him."

Trowa frowned. He hadn't realized that Duo had felt that insecure in his own family. It went a long way towards explaining Duo's need to jump headfirst into everything – if he thought that it could be taken away at a moment's notice, he wanted to experience it first. Trowa was starting to think that Duo might be just as damaged as he was after all.

"So why did he come out?"

Heero sighed. "Another classic Duo story. Duo's never been a fan of bullies, you know. This kid at his school – I think he was just a sophomore – was getting beaten up pretty regularly because a few jocks thought he was gay. This was before Duo's injury, so _he_ was still a jock. And, of course, he knew that that he was gay. I guess he caught these guys in the act one day, gave them a taste of their own medicine, and told them that if they wanted to pick on someone who was gay, they could look for him in the future. One of the jocks whined to an assistant principal, phone calls were made, detentions given, and Duo had to tell Odin WHY he had decided to take on football players and had earned himself a broken rib and two weeks of detentions."

Trowa winced.

"I think that Odin expected it from Duo - I mean, he never paraded around in sequins, but Duo is sort of…"

"Duo." Trowa supplied.

Heero grinned and nodded.

"Yeah. Plus, as Duo likes to say, with the women we grew up with – our mother and Relena – it wasn't as if we ever had a chance of being straight anyway."

Trowa chuckled at that. Celia Yuy was an impressive woman, but also terrifying. And Relena…well, she was very unique.

"What about Wufei? How did he react to you and Duo?"

Heero shrugged. "With Duo he wasn't surprised, though he did have a few choice comments to make. With me – well, he told me that so long as I kept my hands to myself then he was fine with it." Heero frowned. "I guess I'd always fantasized about him being gay too, and when I came out, I wanted him to say that he'd just been waiting for me to do it so that he could." He sighed. "No luck there. It takes him making out with Duo to finally come out. To Duo."

In a lot of ways, Wufei reminded Trowa of Quatre. Quatre, who still had never told anyone from his family or close friends that he and Trowa were more than just friends, and had carried on a romantic, homosexual relationship through four years of college and for the two years that Trowa had spent in Dubai. Quatre was constrained by his family, his religion, and society. Wufei also seemed to be obsessed with fulfilling the expectations his family placed on him, and Trowa had no doubt that Wufei's father would not be overly impressed if his son announced that he was gay.

"It's hard not to be honest around Duo," Trowa pointed out.

"Don't I know it," Heero groused.

"Why won't you talk to Wufei?" Trowa asked, hoping for an elaboration on Heero's earlier answer.

"I'm waiting for him to do the right thing." Heero did not elaborate on what he thought the right thing was, and so Trowa was left to speculate on his own. He knew that he, personally, was looking forward to seeing Wufei again and having a few choice words with him over his treatment of Duo.

"You want him to apologize to Duo," Trowa suddenly realized.

Heero nodded. "My feelings for Wufei aside, he treated my brother like a prostitute. Duo is one of Wufei's oldest friends – even if they don't get along all that well. He shouldn't have done that, and he shouldn't have put Duo in this position. If he doesn't realize that, if he doesn't apologize to Duo – then Wufei isn't the man I thought he was."

Trowa winced at the harsh tone in Heero's voice, but part of him was absurdly proud of Heero for wanting to defend his brother in that way.

"How are things in _you_ personal life? It can't be as dramatic as mine, but I'm sure you've got something worth complaining about."

Trowa almost choked on the sip of beer he had taken.

Every time that Heero had ever inquired about the man that Trowa had dated, he had managed to change the subject. He still didn't feel comfortable talking to Heero about Duo – especially since Heero had no idea that it was Duo Trowa had been dating, but maybe, considering Duo's recent confession and storytelling session, Trowa should start talking about him and try to ease Heero into the concept.

"I told you that I broke up with my boyfriend a few weeks ago."

Heero smirked. "He wants you back."

"Yeah, well, I want him back, too. He's convinced that I'm good for him, and that he's good for me."

"Is he? Good for you?"

Trowa considered. While being with Duo certainly brought on complications and would no doubt result in an inevitable confrontation with Heero, Trowa did think he was good for him.

"Yeah. He is. I'm just trying to figure out if I'm good for him. He's got a pretty full plate, and I'm not sure I'm what he needs in his life."

Heero frowned.

"Trowa, you're an amazing guy. If he makes you happy, you should go for it. Why _wouldn't_ he need you in his life?"

"Aside from the fact that I'd be bringing along some pretty heavy emotional baggage? And the fact that I have this insane slave driver of a boss who won't even let me get off early on a Friday night?"

Heero failed to fall for the bait and instead gave him a steady look.

"He's a serious guy, and he's looking for a serious commitment. Not tomorrow or anything, but soon. He wants this relationship to go there. And I – I don't know if that's something I can do."

"At all or with him?"

Trowa shrugged. "I've spent my entire adult life chasing after one guy. I'm actually starting to get over him, now, and it's because of D – dating the guy who spilled coffee all over me the first time we met. It's not him. I just –"

"You want some freedom. Freedom from the past and the future."

Trowa nodded in agreement.

"Tell him that. Make it casual. You don't have to move in with him tomorrow, right?"

"No. But what if we do this – even casually – and in a few months or a few years and it's not working. What I wasted all of his time? When he could be with someone else?"

Heero scowled. "Is this just fear talking or does your gut tell you that this might be a mistake? You've got to trust your feelings – your head isn't always right."

"This coming from _you_."

Heero smirked and shrugged. "Sometimes you've got to follow your emotions. But fear isn't a good one to trust."

Trowa nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Besides, you're not a waste of anyone's time. He's crazy if he doesn't realize that – and you're an idiot if you don't."

It wasn't the first time Trowa had heard those words, not even the first time that week. He sighed.

"Thanks for the dinner break. I think I might head home, watch some television. Read a book." Heero pushed away his empty plate and drained his glass of beer.

"Sure – enjoy your weekend."

Heero smirked. "You try to do the same. I'd say that at least you'll have Duo around for some solidarity, but I'm not sure he won't be more obnoxious than the kids."

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"He's not that bad."

"Have you ever been to a baseball game with him?"

"No."

Heero nodded.

"Yep. You enjoy that."

* * *

It was almost twelve-thirty when Trowa finally arrived at Yankee Stadium with Luc and Lilly. He was proud of his niece, wearing a Red Sox hat and a red t-shirt, but he had serious reservations about Luc. At some point he had become a Yankees fan. Trowa didn't know how or when it had happened, since this was the first baseball game he had ever been to, but when he arrived to pick them up at Catherine's, Luc answered the door wearing a Yankees hat and a Derek Jeter t-shirt. He had glared at Cathy, but she had simply shrugged and pushed them into his arms as she rushed out to meet Hilde.

Trowa had offered to buy Luc ANY t-shirt he wanted from every store the cab drove past on their way to Yankees Stadium, but the boy had refused. When Trowa asked him WHY he liked the Yankees, Luc had shrugged and explained that they were the best, and he liked winners. The answer drove Trowa crazy, but every argument he used seemed to bounce off Luc with no effect.

It was easy to spot Duo and Nathalie waiting for them outside of the stadium. Duo looked like a walking gift shop – Yankees hat, t-shirt, wristbands, and a stack of programs already in his arms. Nathalie was wearing a Yankees hat, but that was the extent of her fan gear. Trowa's own gear was limited to his favorite Red Sox shirt and hat. The hat was his most prized Red Sox piece of paraphernalia. He had purchased it just before game four of the American League Championship Series in 2004, a game that his sister had bought him tickets for that year.

"Hey – nice threads, kid," Duo said to Luc as they approached. Luc smirked and Trowa groaned. "Gotta work on your uncle and sister, though," he said.

"I know," Luc said solemnly.

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"You guys want some food?" Duo asked as he led their group inside the stadium.

"Yes!" The twins cried out. Trowa was amused to note that Luc had fallen in on one side of Nathalie and Lilly on the other.

Once the everyone had hot dogs, sodas, and boxes of Cracker Jack, Duo led them towards the first base line. They walked down, closer and closer to the field. Duo stopped at the very first row and gestured to a section of empty seats in the middle, just behind the Yankees dugout.

"You're kidding."

Duo grinned.

"Nope. I traded the corporate box, and a few favors. Wanted the kids to experience their first game in style." He winked and Trowa shook his head.

Trowa made a very good salary – now and for the last five years – and he was able to live well. But the incredible wealth of people like Zechs, Quatre, Heero, and Duo still amazed him. He didn't even want to consider how much these seats cost, or what kind of favors Duo had traded for them. Or the corporate luxury box. He remembered that the seats he and Heero had sat in had been behind home plate, and wondered if those were Heero's personal seats.

Duo caught him looking over towards home plate.

"You sat there last night? When you came with Heero?" Duo asked as he ushered the kids in before he sat down next to Nathalie. Trowa sat down beside him.

"Yeah."

"Those were a birthday present from Dad – two season tickets for Heero. The box belongs to Yuy Inc., of course."

"Do you have season tickets?" Trowa asked.

Duo nodded.

"Yeah. Few seats back and a little farther down the first base line. Better chance to catch a foul ball. Also a birthday present from Dad."

"How did you manage to get five seats behind the Yankees dugout for a Yankees-Red Sox game?" Trowa asked, still incredulous.

Duo looked away from him and waved to someone in theYankees dugout.

"Yo – Joe! Hey man!"

Trowa followed his gaze and saw that Duo was addressing Joe Girardi, the manager of the Yankees.

"Hey, Duo! So this is your kid?" Girardi leaned back so he could see them better.

"Yep, this is Nathalie – the newest Yankees fan. And another new fan – Luc Bloom."

"What about those two reprobates in red?" Girardi asked, gesturing to Trowa and Lilly.

Trowa had to fight the urge to take off his hat under Girardi's steely gaze.

"No explaining some people, you know," Duo said with a grin. "Thanks again, by the way."

Girardi shrugged.

"No problem. Enjoy the game!" He waved and ducked back into the dugout.

"Who was that?" Nathalie asked.

"He's, ah, the manager of the team – he's in charge." Duo explained.

Nathalie nodded, losing interest when Lilly pointed out a sign in the outfield and the three kids started to joke about it.

"You know Joe Girardi."

Duo grinned sheepishly.

"Joe Girardi got you five tickets behind the Yankees dugout."

Duo held up his hands.

"Alright, you caught me."

" _How_?"

"We met at a charity auction thing a few years back, when he first started as skipper here. It was tough for him – cuz a lot of people thought Mattingly should have had the job. But I've always thought he was a great player, and I told him that I was looking forward to him leading us back to glory. The auction went on for, like, four hours, so we spent a lot of time talking. Turns out we had a lot in common aside from our deep love of the Yankees and deeper loathing of the Sox. We've hung out a few times over the years, and we work together for a few sports related charities."

"You personally know Joe Girardi."

"Used to know Johnny Damon, too," Duo said with a grin.

Trowa raised an eyebrow. He remembered when Damon had first started playing for the Red Sox. Trowa had long thought he was one of the most attractive men in professional baseball, and he had always wondered if there was a chance he was gay. The grin on Duo's face told him way more than he wanted to know.

"You slept with _Johnny Damon_?" Trowa demanded in a whisper.

"A gentlemen doesn't talk about his past hook ups with his current –" Duo stopped himself and shrugged.

That was still a gray area for them. Trowa was grateful that Duo wasn't trying to push him into anything, but it made for awkward moments like this one.

"Did your hair get tangled?" Trowa asked, a sudden mental image in his mind.

"Nah – this was after he came over to the dark side, you know, so it was short. Shame too, cuz that guy was _hot_ with long hair. You see the faux-hawk he's got these days? It's a good look on him too."

"Do you keep in touch?" Trowa was still reeling from the knowledge that Duo not only knew the manager of the Yankees but had slept with a man Trowa had fantasized about.

"When he's in town we grab dinner sometimes. Ah – don't tell Heero, okay?"

Trowa arched an eyebrow. He found it hard to believe that Duo would have slept with a professional athlete and not told his own brother about it. Then again, he supposed that it really wasn't anyone's business but Duo's. And Johnny Damon's.

It wasn't long until the game started, and Trowa quickly realized that Heero was right. Duo might very well be the most obnoxious person he had ever met. He yelled at the umpires whenever they made a call he disagreed with, he heckled every Red Sox player who stepped up to the plate, and he shouted constant encouragement to every Yankee player and coach.

"Why do you care so much?" Nathalie asked in the fifth inning, when Duo cheered Dustin Pedroia getting struck out. Trowa was depressed by the fact that Luc was on his feet every time Duo jumped up, and that Duo had already taught him a few classic Yankee chants. At least Lilly hadn't given in, and Nathalie had remained skeptical of Duo's behavior the entire time.

"Well, the Yankees are the greatest franchise in sports history. They've won more championships than any other team, and they have the snazziest uniforms."

"Yeah, but you don't shout at the tv unless they play the Red Sox," Nathalie said.

"True. Well, the Red Sox are… pretty special themselves. Trowa, I'll let you take this one."

Trowa was grateful for that. He leaned over Duo and saw that all three kids were listening.

"The Red Sox _used_ to be the Yankees. About a hundred years ago, _they_ were the best team in sports."

"What happened?" Lilly asked.

"Babe Ruth happened. He used to play for the Red Sox, but he was sold to the Yankees. When he became a Yankee, they started to win. A lot. They became the best team in baseball, and he became the best player. And the Red Sox were cursed. They didn't win another world series until 2004. They went eighty-six years without winning. And it wasn't just that – but they got so close, so many times, and they always lost. But they always fight against the Yankees. These two teams have a lot of bad blood between them."

"So the Red Sox are like the underdogs?" Nathalie said.

Trowa nodded.

"And the Yankees are like…the one's that everyone expects to win?"

Trowa could see where she was going with this, and he smirked. Duo, meanwhile, was starting to get a dark look on his face.

"So, the Red Sox are the good guys and the Yankees are the bad guys?"

"Exactly."

"No, not exactly. That's what _he_ thinks. Nat –"

"I like the Red Sox," she announced, folding her arms and leaning back in her seat.

When Adrian Gonzalez came up to bat next, Nathalie stood and started to cheer him on. Lilly and Trowa stood as well. Duo and Luc, however, sunk down in their seats, clearly trying to disassociate themselves.

Gonzalez hit a home run, shocking the stadium into a deafening wail of 'boo.' Nathalie and Lilly were screaming themselves hoarse, however.

Grinning, Trowa took off his Red Sox hat and placed it on Nathalie's head. It was big on her, but she looked up at him and grinned widely. She pushed it back a little and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

He took it back and adjusted the fit before putting it back on her. "Looks good on you," he said.

He leveled a glare at Luc. "Nat and Lilly have the right attitude. I'm starting to question yours, however. I might have to trade and take her home instead of you."

"I might be up for that," Duo muttered as he looked down at Nathalie and took in her worshipful gaze at Trowa.

"Go back to Boston!" Someone behind them suddenly shouted.

Duo and Trowa both turned, alert to the sound of an angry, drunken fan.

"Hey, friend, no need to –" Duo started.

"Shut up. This Red Sox retard is blocking my view! He needs to sit down and go _home_!" The man was large and had obviously been enjoying a few beers during the afternoon game. Beside him sat an equally large, equally red faced man. Both were sporting Yankees shirts and hats and identical, murderous glares in Trowa's direction.

"Hard for him to sit _and_ go home," Duo pointed out.

"You just shut up! You can go home with him! Why you even sitting with him! You're not a real fan!"

Trowa rolled his eyes. How many times did this same fight start in the seats during a Yankees-Red Sox game?

"I'm not a real fan? You –" Trowa grabbed Duo's arm as he started to turn towards the man.

"The kids," Trowa said between gritted teeth.

Duo turned and took in the three kids, all wide eyed and on the edge of their seats.

"You should watch your language, there are kids here," Duo amended and sat down. Trowa followed suit. Duo started to chant 'Let's Go Yankees' until the kids were distracted and refocused on the game.

"Did you really just defend me against a fellow Yankees fan?" Trowa asked in amusement.

Duo shrugged.

"It's what I do."

"I heard. Heero told me that you took on four football players picking on some kid in high school."

"They were third string. It was nothing. Not like Big Jim up there – if it came to blows, my plan was to push you in front of him, grab the kids, and run."

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"My hero."

Duo smirked, but then leaned in so that their shoulders bumped. He angled his head close to Trowa's.

"How old is that hat you just gave her?" He asked, jerking his head in Nathatlie's direction.

" A few years."

Duo looked expectant.

"Seven years old," Trowa clarified.

"Trowa –"

"No, it's fine. She can have it."

"But –"

"A real fan deserves it," he said, knowing it would shut Duo up. It did. He went from wide eyed to narrow eyed so quickly that it impressed Trowa.

"I'm not going to forgive you for that, by the way."

"Yeah, well, _you_ told me to explain the Red Sox. Not my fault she's got a soul."

"That's got nothing to do with it. She thinks you're a knight in shining armor. You could have told her that the Kansas City Royals were the best team in baseball and she'd believe you."

"Jealous?" Trowa was a little amused.

"No. I completely get where she's coming from."

The look Duo gave him was full of heat, and started a pleasant coil of tension in Trowa's belly. Of course, a Red Sox fan kissing a Yankees fan –another man at that – behind the Yankees dugout was NOT the smartest thing to do, so Trowa leaned away from Duo and told himself to just focus on the game.

The Red Sox won, getting another two runs in the eighth inning, and Duo and Luc were both dejected as Lilly, Nathalie, and Trowa cheered as Alex Rodriguez struck out at the end of the game.

"Next time," Duo assured Luc, who nodded glumly.

"Also," Trowa told Nathalie and Lilly, "the Yankees are sore losers. Always have been."

"That's just because we don't have much practice at it," Duo shot back. He took the box score card back from Luc, who he had been teaching to score, and filled in the final out. He presented it to Nathalie. "Here ya go, keep this as a token of the day you became one of the most depressing creatures on the planet."

"A Red Sox fan," Trowa finished for him.

Nathalie just grinned and took the card. She put it between the pages of her program.

Duo stood and stretched, but clearly wasn't in a rush to join the press of people leaving the stadium. The kids were absorbed in the activity still on the field, as players joked and cleaned up their gear and the field crew started to repair the field.

Trowa looked at his watch. It was just after five p.m.

"Can Luc and Lilly come over and play Wii?" Nathalie suddenly asked, looking at Duo.

Duo looked to Trowa, who shrugged.

"Sure," Duo answered.

"Can Nathalie spend the night with us?" Lilly asked a second later, looking at Trowa.

Trowa looked at Duo. He scratched the back of his head.

"Um –"

"Not this time," Trowa interrupted, "we're staying at my place, and she'd have to sleep on the floor."

"What if they stay with us?" Nathalie suggested, biting her lip slightly and looking adorable.

Duo looked back at Trowa, who shrugged again. He didn't think that Cathy would have a problem with her children spending the night at Duo's house. In truth, he knew that Duo had three guest rooms, and because of Nathalie, Luc and Lilly would be considerably more entertained over there than at his own apartment.

"Sounds like a plan," Duo said after a moment's pause. "Only question left – what are we getting for dinner?"

"Pizza!" All three kids shouted at once. It was obvious they had been planning this entire evening for quite a while, because Nathalie and Lilly exchanged high-fives when Duo shrugged again and gave in.

By the time the stadium was nearly empty, the three had planned an entire evening of Wii games and were debating what to get on their pizza.

Trowa looked at Duo.

"If this isn't okay –"

"No, no. It's fine. I'm just a little surprised she asked. I mean, good surprised. I used to have friends stay over, when I was her age. So, this makes sense. It's good."

"Not that I don't trust you with my sister's kids, but, do you mind if I stay the night too? Cathy would kill me if anything happened to them."

Duo looked at him with wide eyes.

"If you thought for even a second that I was going to let you ditch me with these three while you went off on your own, you're crazy. Of course you're staying the night. And in the morning, you'll help me salvage the wreck my house will become."

Trowa grinned at the vehemence in Duo's voice.

"Should we swing by your place and pick up their stuff?" Duo asked as he led them out to the parking lot.

"That would be nice," Trowa said.

They piled into Duo's Prius and Trowa was impressed that Duo remembered the way to Trowa's apartment. Once there, he let them wait in the car while he ran up to grab the twin's bags and a change of clothes for himself. He was debating what to pack for sleepwear – he couldn't remember if Duo's house ran cold or hot – when he started to wonder _where_ he was going to sleep tonight.

With three children in the house, he wondered if it was even appropriate for he and Duo to do anything together. Then again, it wasn't as if they would have sex on the couch while they watched. Then AGAIN, he and Duo weren't together right now. Then again –

Trowa forced himself to shut off his brain. He grabbed an old pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and tossed them into the bag along with his shaving kit, toothbrush, deodorant, jeans, and another t-shirt.

"Have trouble decided what to pack?" Duo asked him with a knowing smirk when he got back into the car.

Trowa glared at him and Duo chuckled.

By the time they arrived back at Duo's house, the kids were anxious to be moving after the long car ride between Boroughs. Duo let them loose in the house after confining them to either the living room, Nathalie's room, or the back yard.

Trowa grabbed the bags of clothes and followed Duo upstairs, where Duo pointed out two guest rooms for him to put each of the twins bags in. Duo stopped beside the door to the third.

"If you want, you can sleep here."

There was an unspoken, but incredibly loud 'or' on the end of that sentence. Duo scratched the back of his neck.

Trowa took a step closer to Duo, bringing their bodies into contact.

"Or?" He asked.

"Of, if you remembered my no clothes rule, you can always sleep with me," Duo said. "Or you can fuck me. I'm up for either. Both, really."

Trowa angled his head down and brushed his lips over Duo's.

"Both?" He asked against Duo's lips. "Seems a little greedy."

Duo shivered and pressed their lips together again, his tongue teasing between Trowa's lips and tasting him.

"You know me," Duo said after he pulled away. He smirked. "But, if you're opposed to both. We _could_ just spend the entire night –"

He was interrupted by a sudden shriek from one of the girls that startled them into jumping apart.

A moment later they heard laughter, and both relaxed.

Duo chuckled.

"Way to kill the mood," he muttered. He took Trowa's bag from him and took it into his own room, tossing it inside before joining Trowa back in the hallway.

He shrugged at Trowa's arched eyebrow.

"You can always change your mind," he said. "We should probably go and supervise or the house will probably get burnt down around us."

Trowa followed Duo downstairs. The kids were gathered around the Wii playing some racing game. When Duo asked what they wanted on their pizza, they shouted their requests without looking away from the game.

Duo made a face at the requests for mushrooms to be added.

"You don't like mushrooms?" Trowa asked, confused. He recalled Duo putting them in the poulet farci he had made the first time Trowa stayed over.

"Yeah, course I do. Just not covered in cheese and meat grease." He made a face.

"But that's why they're so good," Trowa argued.

"Disgusting, all of you," Duo muttered. But when he called in the pizza order he dutifully asked for mushrooms – extra mushrooms – on the pizza.

While they waited for the pizza to arrive, Duo showed Trowa the back yard, which he hadn't realized the house had.

The fence around the yard was high enough for privacy, and a few trees dotted the perimeter, but the vast majority of the yard was grass. There was a sizable patio, with two Adirondack chairs and a small patio table and three chairs taking up space beside a charcoal grill.

"I'm thinking about putting in an herb garden," Duo said, and gestured to one side. "Maybe some vegetables. Nat's been learning about sustainability at school, and she swears we're going to kill the planet if we don't start trying to grow our own food." Duo was grinning as he complained, and it was obvious to Trowa that he was proud of her.

"Rooftop gardens are becoming pretty fashionable," Trowa said. He sat down in one of the chairs after Duo leaned against the patio table.

"Yeah. And I do love to be fashionable."

"It's good space for a dog to run around," Trowa pointed out, remembering Duo's five year plan.

Duo grinned. "Yeah. Actually, Nat and I are going to the pound next Saturday to look at some dogs. Friend told me that there are a few puppies ready to find homes."

Trowa felt a sudden jolt. He wondered if Duo had started to move on with his life. Maybe he had given up home of Trowa being with him and had decided to forge ahead on his own?

"I think it would be good for Nat, you know. A dog is a good responsibility for a kid to have."

"You never had one," Trowa pointed out.

"And just look at how I turned out!" Duo said in mock horror.

They heard the doorbell ring. Trowa was amazed by how loud it was.

Sitting at the formal dining table eating pizza out of a box on Waterford china and drinking cans of soda was a surreal experience for Trowa, but the kids and Duo seemed to take it in stride. After they had demolished the food, they were racing back to the Wii – they had moved on to Smash Brothers – and left Trowa and Duo to clean up the mess.

As Trowa rinsed off the dishes in the kitchen sink, he was hit with a sense of nostalgia and déjà vu. Sure enough, after Duo set the last plate in the sink, he leaned his chin against Trowa's shoulder and put his hands on Trowa's hips, his thumbs hooking through the belt loops on his jeans.

"Brings back memories."

"I'm not parading through your house without my shirt on," Trowa growled.

"Too bad." Duo kissed the side of Trowa's neck and then licked a path up to his ear. He bit into the lobe gently. "We could just skip the parading part, though, and go straight to the naked in my bed part." He said the words directly into Trowa's ear, and the sensation made him shiver.

"Innocent children are only a few rooms away. And they're so high on sugar and carbs that it'll be hours before they crash," Trowa pointed out.

"Too bad." Duo moved away and leaned on the counter beside Trowa. "So, what do you think about your sister sneaking away to have lots of lesbian sex with my best friend?"

Trowa slanted him a look. "I've been trying not to think about it, actually.'

Duo grinned. "Hil's crazy about her. She likes the kids, too."

"I didn't realize she met them."

"Yeah, they all went out to see a movie last week and had dinner afterwards. 'Course, there's no telling WHEN your sister will tell them she's a lesbian and that Hilde is not just her friend. Hil's a bit concerned that your sister's never going to come out."

Trowa shrugged. "She will. When's she's ready. It would sort of ruin their dreams, you know?"

"Ah, no, I don't know." Duo looked confused.

"Their father split before they were born, but he _does_ send them birthday cards, Christmas presents. I know they dream that one day he'll come back and they can all be a family together. It's not that Cathy encourages that, but… if she tells them she's in love with another woman, that sort of ends any possibility of it for them."

"Yeah, but it gives them the possibility of having a happy life with a real family. Just a bit different than the one they dreamed of."

Trowa shrugged again. "I know. It's just not an easy situation. Besides, those kids have had to take a lot of crap already – because they don't have a dad. It won't be easy for them to explain having two moms."

Duo frowned. "Still not a good reason. Kids can be shitty, sometimes, and they'll find any reason to pick on other kids."

"I know." Trowa remembered transferring to a new school in New York after his parents had died. His first two years had been hell, before he had started to blend in. Being an orphan had not been easy, and school bullies had taken great pleasure in tormenting him.

Trowa finished with the dishes and dried his hands.

"She's a good mother. And a good person. They'll work it out."

Duo nodded in agreement. "I'm sure. So, want to give the kids a run for their money on Smash Brothers?"

"I've never played it."

"Dude, there's about three buttons to push. You'll pick it up quickly."

Trowa followed him with reluctance, but soon enough he was competing with the rest of them to win the knock-out style matches they set up. Eventually, Nathalie emerged the victor – narrowly defeating Trowa in a final match.

It was nearly ten before the children started to show signs of slowing down, and it was with relief that Duo corralled them upstairs and supervised teeth brushing. Trowa followed, amused at their antics and at how easily Duo turned from easygoing into strict as he made them floss and gargle as well.

After they were all tucked in – Lilly eschewing her room to join Nathalie in hers – Duo turned to Trowa with a look of exhausted relief.

"Well, the monsters are finally tucked away."

"You're a good parent," Trowa remarked.

Duo shrugged. "I have a motto – what would Sara do?"

Trowa chuckled at that.

Duo nodded towards his bedroom.

"I dunno about you, but I'm going to change into my pjs. Do you want to watch a movie or anything?"

Trowa was surprised that Duo didn't immediately suggest they fall into bed, but he was also relieved. He was still a bit on edge about having his niece and nephew so close, and he was also still unsure of where he and Duo stood, or where he wanted them to be.

"A movie sounds good."

Trowa followed Duo into the bedroom. Duo continued on to his closet, and Trowa pulled his sweats out of his overnight bag. He started to change, but was still shirtless and in the process of pulling up his sweat pants when Duo came back into the room. Duo was already in a pair of basketball shorts, and was in the process of pulling on a Pink Floyd t-shirt.

"I've got some DVDs, we can get crazy and try cable, or I've got Net –" he had finished pulling on his shirt and stopped talking as he admired Trowa.

Trowa cleared his throat. "Duo. Eyes up here."

Duo just grinned at the familiar words, but he did look up. Trowa finished pulling his pants up and put on his own t-shirt.

"Sorry, where was I? Right. Or I've got Netflix. Anything you're in the mood for?"

Trowa shrugged. "Something funny. Dark, maybe."

Duo grinned. "I've got Inglorious Basterds. Nothing like watching Hitler get what he deserved to cap off good day, huh?"

"Sounds good."

Trowa and Duo had had their favorite movie discussion pretty early on in their relationship – and while he didn't understand HOW Duo could think that the Empire Strikes Back was better than Return of the Jedi, they both agreed that Quentin Tarentino wasa gruesomely brilliant filmmaker, and they both agreed that Reservoir Dogs was his best film, and severely underrated.

Duo put in the movie and then joined Trowa on the couch, sitting in the opposite corner and stretching out an arm along the back, his fingers close enough to touch Trowa's own extended arm and fingers. Duo grinned when he brushed his fingers against Trowa's wrist, causing him to jerk it back to avoid getting tickled. Duo had also early on discovered that when hit at the right moment, Trowa could be incredibly ticklish. He glared.

"Sorry. Won't happen again." Duo carefully put his hand back down, and Trowa waited a beat before he returned his own. Even though Duo's lips twitched, his eyes remained focused on the movie, and his fingers stayed in their place, the tips just touching Trowa's own.

The movie had gotten to the bar scene when Duo stretched his legs out, brushing them against Trowa's own.

"Can I ask a favor?" Duo said.

"You can ask."

"Mind if I stretch out my legs on the couch? My knee gets cramped if I bend it for too long."

Trowa remembered the injury that had ended Duo's chance at an athletic career.

"Sure." The couch wasn't quite large enough for Duo to stretch out his legs and Trowa to still have a lot of room, so he stood and moved to one of the arm chairs that flanked the couch.

"You don't have to move," Duo said, his right leg already stretched out against the back of the couch cushions. Trowa arched an eyebrow. Duo was nearly as tall as he was, and Duo's foot was resting on the opposite armrest. "Sit here." Duo moved his left leg farther to the side, indicating the space between his legs.

Trowa complied after a moment's hesitation. He leaned back against Duo's chest and was able to stretch his own legs out. He was grateful for the width, if not the length, of the couch. It was surprisingly comfortable, and Trowa relaxed into the familiar warmth and scent of Duo.

It was the closest to cuddling they had ever been, and when Duo's right arm moved to rest along Trowa's right thigh, Trowa felt a slight thrill of anticipation. If Duo wanted to watch the rest of the movie like this, that was fine with him, but, if Duo's fingers gently massaging his thigh were any indication, Duo had other plans in mind.

Trowa found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the movie, especially when Duo's hand moved to his inner thigh, long fingers brushing against his growing erection. He arched, almost involuntarily, into the touch.

"Duo, are you seriously trying to feel me up while we watch a Tarentino film? That's a bit twisted."

Duo's hand now brushed very deliberately over Trowa's penis, grasping him through the fabric of the sweat pants.

"You seem pretty cooperative." Duo commented, and Trowa could hear the smile in his voice. "Besides," Duo continued, "Johnny and I used to fuck while we watched movies all the time." He punctuated the sentence with a hard grip on Trowa, earning a moan.

"I _thought_ you seemed awfully interested in details about me and Johnny," Duo continued. "So I've been trying to figure out – is it because _you_ have the hots for him, or because you like picturing me and him together?" Duo moved his hand to the waistband of Trowa's pants, his fingers dipping just under the elastic.

"Well?" Duo prompted when Trowa didn't immediately respond.

"I've thought about him," Trowa confessed, and Duo tugged at the waistband. Trowa lifted his hips enough for Duo to tug them down. His erection was straining against his boxers, a small wet spot staining the front with precum. "But I'd be lying if I said the thought of you and him together wasn't a turn on." He continued.

"I thought so." Duo continued to fondle Trowa through the boxers, one hand massaging his scrotum while the other continued to work his erection. "So, you want details to help fill out that little mental fantasy you're working on?" He asked, his lips close to Trowa's ear.

"Yes," Trowa moaned as Duo gripped him tightly again.

" what positions he liked to fuck me in? How he loved to undress me first and suck my cock until I was almsot ready to come?"

" _Yes,_ " Trowa moaned again. Duo was already doing a great job of filling in details for his fantasy.

Duo tugged at the boxers, and Trowa once again arched back to help him pull them down. Now completely exposed, he kicked off the boxers and pants and opened his legs wider, offering Duo moer access. He could feel Duo's own erection pressed against him from behind, and he pushed back on it.

Duo groaned and returned his hands to their early tasks, more intense and firm now that clothes weren't separating their flesh.

"He wasn't quite as thick as you, but he was pretty big. A lot like you, actually," Duo said with a thoughtful tug on Trowa's erection. "His hands were incredible – rough and callused, but damn, when he gripped my ass if was incredible. His body was great, too. Hard and hot. He liked to top – and fuck he was good at pounding his cock into me. "

Trowa was approaching orgasm, just listening to Duo talk about getting screwed by Johnny Damon.

"Getting close?" Duo asked. Trowa nodded and then let his head fall back as Duo drew out a moan from him. Duo was smirking as he looked down at him. He leaned down and traced over Trowa's lips with his tongue before thrusting inside of his mouth. Trowa was eager to take him in, his own tongue meeting Duo's and tangling with it. Duo pulled back, sucking on Trowa's bottom lip as he did.

"He let me top him once, and I've got to tell you, his ass is a work of art. And when he comes – the look on his face was always incredible. Like he'd just seen heaven or something."

Trowa came just as Duo started to describe the last, and he was panting when Duo finished.

"Another shirt bites the dust," Duo said with a grin.

Trowa looked down to see the sticky white stain on the front of his shirt. After a moment, he sat up and gingerly pulled off the shirt. He used it to wipe himself clean and then balled it up and sat it down on the floor. He was now completely naked, but the thought that one of the kids might walk in on them was very far from his mind.

"Your knee doesn't cramp if you bend it for too long," he said.

"Nope." Duo sounded completely unrepentant. He ran one hand over Trowa's chest in an idle pattern.

"You feel really good, Trowa." There was a quality to his voice that went beyond lust. "I don't know what you want from me, though."

Trowa sighed. He still didn't know either.

"Maybe some rewinding?" He suggested.

"Okay." Duo's voice was neutral and guarded.

Trowa had to stand to pull his boxers back on. When he moved to sit back down, Duo started to move his leg so that Trowa could have his end of the couch back.

"I was comfortable before, if that's okay," Trowa said, stopping him.

Duo looked at him for a moment, but then put his leg back. Trowa settled against him again.

They continued to watch the movie in silence. Duo's steady breathing and heart beat lulled Trowa into a near trance, with only the explosions of the television screen keeping him awake. It was near the end of the movie when Trowa spoke up.

"I don't know what I want from you. I don't know what I want from us. But I'm… I love you."

He waited for any kind of response from Duo. The silence stretched between them, and Trowa finally turned to look back at Duo, to see what he was thinking.

Duo was asleep.

Trowa didn't know whether to be furious or relieved, and eventually settled on exasperated. He reached for the remote and turned off the television. There was a blanket on the back of the couch, and he pulled it down to cover them. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.

* * *

The doorbell was ringing when Trowa jerked away the next morning. It took him a moment to orientate himself and remember that he had been sleeping on Duo's couch.

He turned and saw Duo starting to stir.

"Someone's at your door," Trowa said when Duo opened his eyes.

"Why?" Duo seemed confused and offended at the possibility. Trowa couldn't help but smirk at the expression on his face.

Duo groaned as he stretched and stood. His morning erection bobbed under his sweatpants, catching Trowa's attention.

"Trowa," Duo scolded in amusement.

Trowa shrugged.

"Just enjoying the view."

"The door?" Trowa reminded him.

"Right. Shit." Duo sprinted from the room, and Trowa wondered if he was actually going to open his door, sporting a rather impressive erection.

Trowa found his sweatpants and pulled them on.

He had his answer when a moment later, Duo walked in leading a woman Trowa vaguely recognized. His erection seemed to have completely subsided, and Trowa was a little impressed with his willpower.

"Trowa, you remember Mrs. Vern? Nat's social worker?"

Trowa fought the instant urge to cover his naked chest. He wondered what she was thinking, as she took in their disheveled, half dressed appearance.

She smiled at him. "Mr. Barton? It's nice to see you again. I was just stopping in for a home visit."

"A surprise home visit." Duo clarified.

"We like to do those. It gives us a better, more honest view of the care being provided."

"Right, well, Nat's still asleep. Ah, Trowa's niece and nephew came over yesterday, and they spent the night. So, all the kids are asleep. We stayed up, watched a movie…must have fallen asleep on the couch." Duo scratched at the back of his neck.

"That sounds like a lovely evening. Why doesn't Mr. Barton show me to the kitchen while you get dressed? I'd love a cup of coffee."

Duo looked at Trowa, a panicked, deer in the headlights look on his face.

"Trowa doesn't really know his way around my kitchen, maybe - "

"He seems rather intelligent. I'm sure he can spot the coffee maker and we'll go from there." Vern's voice was very firm, and with an apologetic look to Trowa, Duo gave in and went upstairs to change.

Trowa grabbed his shirt from the floor, unwilling to leave it there in case someone tried to move it later, and carried it with him into the kitchen. He tucked it under his arm as he made coffee, a task he HAD actually done before in Duo's kitchen, the last time he spent a Saturday night.

"Duo said he had a full time housekeeper," Vern said. She had taken a seat at the bar table off to the side and pulled out a notebook and pen.

"Sara. Sunday is her day off."

"So she supervises Nathalie after school until Duo gets home?"

"Yes, she picks her up from school."

"Hm. And how much time do you spend here?"

Trowa nearly spilled coffee grounds on himself at the question. How was he supposed to answer that?

He turned around and saw that she was smirking slightly.

"Mr. Barton, I'm sorry if this makes me sound like a prude, but as much as I DO enjoy the view, perhaps you should put your shirt on? While this isn't too formal, you are a bit underdressed."

The world was a dark and evil place, Trowa decided.

"I'll just run upstairs and put on some clean clothes," he suggested.

She arched an eyebrow.

"I brought an overnight bag," he clarified, lest she think he kept clothes in Duo's closet.

"Just the shirt will do."

There was no way Trowa was putting the shirt on. It was covered in his now dried semen, and unless she was a virgin, it was impossible that she wouldn't recognize the stain for what it was.

She was still looking at him expectantly, and with a sigh, Trowa started to pull the shirt on, turning his back to her.

"Hey – sorry to keep you waiting!" Duo arrived.

Trowa ripped the shirt back off and fled the kitchen instantly.

"I'm going to take a shower and change," he said as he retreated.

He used Duo's shower, because he had no idea where the shampoo and soap were in the guest bathrooms, and because he _liked_ Duo's shower. The water pressure and the size of the nozzle were perfect. He dressed quickly, feeling guilty for abandoning Duo to the woman, and was back downstairs in twenty minutes.

Duo had made breakfast in that time – bacon, scrambled eggs, and was working on pancakes when Trowa entered. Vern seemed very content, nibbling at her food and scribbling notes, as Duo talked about Nathalie's daily schedule.

"Ah, you're back." Vern smiled. "We didn't get to finish our discussion. How much time do you spend here?"

Trowa looked to Duo, who was looking at him with a neutral expression. Trowa realized that this was one of those defining moments in his life. He could lie, and say none, and he had every confidence that Duo would walk away. Or he could also lie and say a lot, and he knew that Duo would take it as a sign that he wanted to commit to their relationship.

"He comes over every now and then," Duo answered when Trowa remained silent. "He's our family lawyer, but he's also a friend. And Nat's a fan – so… we hang out sometimes."

"We're dating," Trowa added. "So I've spent the night a few times."

Both Vern and Duo were speechless.

"And how have you explained your relationship to Nathalie?" Vern asked after a moment.

"Well, at first I told her the truth – that Trowa was a guy that I liked and I wanted him to spend the night. I asked her if it was okay, if she was comfortable with it. At first she wasn't – because of her mother and the guys she used to bring over – but we talked. I promised her that nothing bad would happen, and that if she didn't like him, he was out."

Trowa had no idea that this conversation had taken place. His surprise must have shown on his face. Duo shrugged.

"Sorry, buddy. I like you, but I had to do what was right by her. But, you know, she takes after me. She's got good taste."

Trowa nodded, still a little dazed by the new information.

"And how does Nathalie feel about Mr. Barton?"

"She's crazy about him. She's liked him from the start, but after the hearing, well, she's president of his fan club. And after he went and made her into a _Red Sox fan_ ," Duo muttered, slapping the pancakes over onto their other side with a great deal of force, "I'm pretty sure she's a goner."

"So, how much time _does_ Mr. Barton spend here?" Vern asked yet again.

"A few nights – well, not for a few weeks."

"Oh? Why is that? Did Nathalie express some reservations?"

Duo was silent for a moment, and Trowa sighed.

"We took some time away from each other. I needed to work out a few issues in my head."

"Hm. What kind of issues?"

"Isn't this pretty personal?" Duo interrupted, before Trowa could answer.

"Duo, my _job_ is to be personal. I'm here today to ascertain Nathalie's living conditions. It is very clear to me that you are providing her a safe and structured house and are taking care to love and nurture her." Vern's gaze swung to Trowa. "However, you have just informed me that Nathalie is very attached to Mr. Barton. Perhaps she even sees him as her savior. You have also informed me that the two of you are having struggles in your relationship, and that that has affected his involvement with Nathalie. I am, naturally, concerned by this development."

Trowa winced, and Duo scowled unhappily. She had a good point, and Trowa was hit with the sudden fear that he might screw up Duo's chances to keep custody of Nathalie.

"What would be best, then?" He asked, directing the question to Vern. "Should I just… stay out of their lives?"

"Can you actually commit to being a fixture in them? Nathalie has experienced great turmoil recently. This house, and Duo, are the only stable things in her life. If you were disrupt the peace of this house, or even Duo's state of mind, there could be very negative effects on Nathalie."

Trowa sighed. A few hours ago he was confessing his love to Duo – an unconscious Duo – and now he was faced with the decision on whether or not he should walk away from him. He looked up and saw Duo's eyes, and the naked uncertainty in them hurt.

"I want what's best for her. What's best for Duo. He's an amazing father to her, and she deserves the life he can give her."

Vern waited for him to continue.

"Maybe… maybe my timing is bad. Maybe I need to walk away."

He had to look away from Duo's eyes.

"So you don't feel that you can make a commitment to be in their lives?" Vern clarified, twisting the knife in deeper.

"I can't risk ruining this for them."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Duo lay down his spatula and brace himself against the counter by the stove. Every line in his body was tense.

"I heard you, last night," Duo said. His voice was hoarse, as if talking was an effort for him.

Trowa swallowed. He didn't need to ask what Duo was referring to.

"I pretended to be asleep. I didn't think you could handle hearing me say it back to you. I didn't want to freak you out again."

Trowa frowned and thought about it. He realized that Duo saying it to him likely would have caused him to start doubting himself, all over again. He sighed. He was so fucked up.

"It doesn't change the fact that I do." Duo turned to look at him. "I love you."

"You can't trade Nathalie for me," Trowa said.

"No. But I'm really confused about why I can't have you both."

"I could ruin all of this."

"Or you could be a part of it. Stop running, Trowa."

"I'm sorry, but –" Vern started to speak.

Duo whirled on her.

"Listen, I get that you want what's best for Nathalie. But I do too. And so does Trowa. But people are messy, and they aren't perfect. You can't sit here and tell Trowa that he has to walk away or commit to this for the rest of his life. People just don't work like that. I mean – if not Trowa, am I supposed to remain single until she turns eighteen? Because I _might_ break up with someone who she likes? My priority is Nathalie, and having her means the world to me, but I'd like to be satisfied in my personal life as well. I can guarantee that I'm a lot happier and more content having Trowa here than not."

"Which is the problem. You want him to be a partner in this, and clearly, he can't commit to it." Vern pointed out.

"People get married and get divorced all the time," Duo continued. "What do you do if a foster family gets divorced?"

"It depends on the situation. Sadly, most children will be absorbed back into the system."

Duo's jaw clicked shut audibly at that.

Trowa heard footsteps and realized that the children were awake. A moment later, all three appeared in the kitchen, looking rumpled and a little cranky.

Luc, the bravest, stepped into the kitchen and made a beeline for the food. Lilly followed him, but Nathalie stayed in the door.

"Why is she here?" She asked, her gaze fixed on Vern.

"It's nothing," Duo said, clearly sensing her panic. He went over to her and took her shoulders.

"It's just a home visit. She's just checking up on us."

"Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, you're doing everything right. She's just… you know, being nosey."

Trowa smirked at the look of irritation on Vern's face. He directed Luc and Lilly towards the dining room with a nod, and the two went without protest.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions," Vern said to Nathalie.

She looked up at Duo, and then over at Trowa. With a sigh, she sat down across from Vern. Duo made up a plate and put it, as well as a glass of orange juice, in front of her.

"Alone, please," Vern clarified.

Duo started to protest, but stopped at the look Vern gave him.

"Is that legal?" He asked, turning to Trowa.

"Technically, she is a ward of the state, until you have been granted full custody, so, yes."

Nathalie did not look happy.

"Just be honest – but don't be mean," Duo added quickly before he and Trowa left the room.

Trowa followed Duo into the living room, and helped him clean up the mess the kids had left last night, and to straighten the couch.

"Just because you feel a certain way, it doesn't mean you have to act on it," Duo said as he picked up a cushion.

Trowa looked up, confused.

"You love me –that's great. But maybe it's just not good timing. Maybe it just won't work out for you." Duo grinned bitterly. "Maybe, this time, you're Quatre and _I'm_ Trowa."

It was in exact opposition to what Heero had suggested he do.

"I'm fucked up, Duo. Every time I convince myself that I'm special and amazing I remember how useless I am. I'm not – I'm not good enough for you and Nathalie."

"This is the absolute last time that I'm saying this. You are good enough. You're Nathalie's _hero_. So don't tell me you aren't good enough. If you don't want this – if you don't want to take on responsibility for being a steady influence in her life, that's fine. It doesn't make you a bad guy. You can walk away."

"I don't want to. But I can't – it's a lot of commitment."

"Look, you like her, right?"

Trowa nodded.

"So, can you commit to hanging out with us once a week? Movies, games, concerts, museums, stuff like that?"

Trowa nodded again.

"And how about dinner? Once a week, here. I'll cook."

"I could do that."

"Okay. So, that's two days. Let's start with that. If we don't work – if you don't want to jump into something with me – that's all it is. Dinner and a movie. You don't even have to stay the night."

"What if I want to?"

"Well, then you'll have to add in a few breakfasts. Because I'm not sneaking around." Duo paused. "Which means telling Heero."

Trowa nodded.

"That would only be right."

"Okay. So… we'll go slow. Do you have plans for Tuesday night? I make a mean lasagna."

"That sounds good."

"Alright. So we're friends."

Duo started to walk past him, but Trowa caught his arm and pulled him against him.

"I don't want to be friends."

Duo kissed him, hard, with tongue and a fair amount of teeth.

"Fuck it, then. We aren't friends." Duo said after he pulled away.

"We'll figure it out. But I'm not letting you run away."

Duo kissed him again, and then walked back into the kitchen.

"Time to save Nathalie from the nosey bitch," he muttered as he went.

Trowa let him go. Duo would either tell Vern about their decision, or he wouldn't. It didn't matter. What mattered was that there WAS a decision.

What mattered was that Duo had fought for him, from the start. Even when Nathalie didn't want him – Duo hadn't given up. He had talked her into it. And he had talked Trowa into it.

Maybe Duo just liked a good fight – Trowa had lost count of just how many stories Heero told about his brother fighting for someone else.

But Trowa was starting to realize that he was worth a fight. He just needed to start fighting back, too.

* * *

Up next: Treize Khushrenada has some more evil plotting up his sleeves….

* * *

**Chapter 16: Chapter 16**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: I'm sorry that this chapter is so short… it's a struggle for me to write Treize.

A/N #3: This story is winding down, and as it does, I'm starting work on my next fic, Umbra which is a *gasp* 1x2 fic. The first chapter is already out, with another to follow soon. Check it out.

**A Little Less Normal**

Chapter XVI

In retrospect, Treize knew he should have taken this path originally. He had trusted Zechs too much, had had too much faith in his connection with Trowa Barton.

But, it seemed, Treize truly _had_ underestimated Barton. He had also underestimated Wufei Chang. Far from negotiating for the restoration of his father's company, Wufei had seemingly abandoned any idea of claiming his legacy. Treize's lawyer had been fending off lawsuits left and right from Wufei, and while Treize found them to be mildly annoying, they were no major impediments to his plans. Instead, Treize would have to go for an approach that was both more subtle and far more blunt.

It took practically no time to procure the necessary documents, and then he made the phone call.

"Good afternoon," a pleasant, bland voice answered.

"Good afternoon," he responded. "I would like to speak with Mrs. Yuy."

"May I say who is calling?"

"Yes, of course, Treize Khushrenada."

It was a few moments before the line was picked up again. Treize wondered just what sort of internal debate Celia had gone through before finally giving in.

"Hello." Her voice was coldly polite.

"Celia, I realized that I hadn't properly expressed my sympathy over the loss of your husband."

"How very thoughtful of you."

"Hm. Yes. I thought perhaps we could have lunch tomorrow."

"I'm afraid that I'm awfully busy."

"Of course, of course." Treize sighed. "There were simply a few things I wanted to discuss with you, before others learned about them. However, if you would prefer that I simply go –"

Celia was nothing if not quick.

"Where would you like to meet?"

"Oh, that wonderful bistro on the island that you favor so much. I will see you there at noon."

She hung up before he could add any parting shot, and he chuckled. Celia had always despised him – on sight, actually. The moment he had introduced himself to Odin years ago, she had distrusted him. All of his efforts to court Heero had been countered at every turn by Celia, and he had to give the woman credit for endurance.

However, when he walked into the restaurant ten minutes late the next day, she looked pale and drawn. Still immaculate, still the bastion of social grace she always had been, but tired. He knew she had likely spent the night wondering just what he planned to do.

"Celia, it's lovely to see you again."

"Hm." She had obviously decided to waste no time on him.

Treize smirked. Sometimes even HE preferred to get straight to the point. He handed her an envelope.

"What is that?" She asked, looking at it as though it was contaminated.

"Oh, just a few things I've found over the years that caught my interest. Photographs, documents, _certificates_."

She went completely pale at that and opened the envelope with clumsy fingers. He watched as she rifled through its contents, growing progressively stiff.

"Fascinating," she said in a dry voice.

"I certainly thought so. I touch over dramatic, and terribly predictable, but, nonetheless, fascinating." He smirked.

"What do you intend to do with this?" She gestured to the envelope and its contents.

"We both know what would happen if this were to become public knowledge. Your entire lifestyle, your family, everything you have ever had – all of it will vanish. Not to mention what your son will think. Both of them. So, if you want to preserve your life, then you will sell your shares of Yuy Inc. to me."

"I don't own a majority share," Celia pointed out with a disdainful sniff.

"No, of course you don't. Odin would never trust _you_ with such power, not after he couldn't even trust you to be loyal to him. You have enough, however, for me to begin with."

"Begin with?"

"Oh, don't trouble yourself with that." Treize smiled. "Have we got a deal?"

Celia held his eyes with her own, cold, blue eyes. Treize thought it was amazing that no one had actually made the connection between her and her youngest son, but, if the world wanted to lie to itself, then he wasn't in the mood to challenge it. Especially if he wasn't going to gain anything from it.

After several long moments of silence, she inclined her head in silent agreement.

"Now, I simply _must_ know: _who_ is Duo's father?"

"That is none of your business."

"Hm, but it is his, isn't it? It boggles the mind, how you managed to become so unlucky that your husband adopted _your_ illegitimate son. Did he ever know?"

Her gaze was like ice and Treize chuckled.

"You know, it will come out. Oh, I'm not saying that I will go to the press – just that these things…they have a habit of exposing themselves. I suppose it's good that Odin went to the grave before it happened. Before he saw what you did to his family and his company."

Celia stood and left the table without another word. Zechs allowed himself a smirk of victory before signaling a waiter. He had been told that the mango vinaigrette was to die for.

His next move involved a visit to Thomas Darlian. Another associate who had used up his usefulness in Treize's plans. It seemed that fate was on his side, because he interrupted a family dinner between Darlian and his daughter, Relena, at Nobu.

He joined them after Thomas issued a rather forced invitation.

"Thomas, Relena –I was _just_ thinking to myself that I wanted to catch up with my old friend and see how his daughter was. Relena, how _are_ you these days? You are looking absolutely lovely."

Relena smiled politely, but there was a shrewd calculation in her eyes, and Treize found himself suddenly doubting his original plan.

"There is no need for flattery between us," She said demurely.

"I was only speaking the truth." Her smile faded to a small upturn of her lips at the corners.

"Treize, what exactly brings you to us this evening?" Darlian asked.

"I was thinking about a conversation we had some months back. You mentioned that wonderful condo of yours in New Zealand, and how much you wanted to spend time sailing there and just couldn't get away from work."

Darlian frowned, but Relena leaned forward.

"My father should give himself a vacation," she agreed. "He works much, much too hard."

"Relena –"

"No, father, we've discussed this. We've been discussing this since before Odin died."

"Discussing what, precisely?" Treize asked, his interest piqued.

"Father has become too invested in his work, and it's damaging his health, as well as his relationship with my mother. We think that it was time he took things easy and allowed me to step in. If only so that he can take a vacation."

"Relena." Darlian's voice was harsh and urgent, but Relena's eyes were focused on Treize.

"I was under the impression that your main goal in life was to become Mrs. Heero Yuy," he pointed out.

Relena sniffed and her jaw tightened noticeably.

"Treize, we _both_ know that Heero has no interest in a relationship with me, or any woman. However, I want his respect. He has _always_ looked down on me as a mere nuisance, and I am more than that."

Revenge was a powerful motivation, and a woman scorned even better. All the same – Treize couldn't help but mistrust her. His original intention _had_ been to convince Darlian to do precisely this: turn over his shares and his board position to Relena, but now that the girl had come up with the same plan, he was concerned that he was getting more than he had bargained for.

"The conditions of Odin's will –" Darlian interrupted.

Relena waved a hand, an impatient look on her face. Clearly, they had had this argument before.

"Those conditions wouldn't _really_ hold up with a good lawyer, and furthermore, it states that the advising structure is to remain unchanged _unless_ a member becomes incapacitated. Father, if you keep working yourself like this, you are just as likely to end up in the same state as Odin, or even Henry Chang." This last was said with a narrow, warning look in Treize's direction.

That settled it – Relena was _definitely_ more than he had bargained for. But, she was incredibly clever, to have seen through him so quickly. He wanted to see what she would do, if given the opportunities she so clearly desired.

"Well?" Treize prompted Darlian.

The older man sighed.

"I've given my life to this company, and as much as I KNOW that Heero and Duo are steering it in the wrong direction, it is… it is not without some regret that I concede to your wishes. Perhaps I do need a vacation. Perhaps, clearer, younger heads can reason with them. I want… I want your promise that you will do what is right, for Yuy Inc. It's Odin's legacy, and I don't want it run into the ground." Darlian held his gaze, blue eyes fierce.

Forcing his own face into a neutral expression, Treize inclined his head in agreement. It wasn't strictly speaking, as if he intended to break the promise. He too wanted Yuy Inc. preserved. It would be worth so much more when it was absorbed into his own holdings. However, he was prepared to expect certain setbacks and losses in order to achieve his goals.

Darlian nodded.

"Very well. I shall have my lawyer sign over my stocks to Relena, and I will appoint her to act in my stead as a Vice President while I am on an extended vacation. It will be finalized at a later date."

"Wonderful." Treize signaled a waiter who had been lurking in the background. "I suddenly feel ravenous," he told the other two with a smirk. He ordered the lamb, with instructions to make it as rare as possible. He wanted to see the look on Darlian's face as he cut into it and it bled out. He wanted the old man to realize just what he had done.

* * *

On Thursday morning, Treize took extreme care when he chose his wardrobe. He normally did, but today, of all days, he wanted to look spectacular. He wore his favorite black suit, paired with a shockingly crimson tie that, instead of looking overdone, he managed to make into a tasteful, powerful statement. He added a matching pocket square, the old fashioned touch would no doubt set him even more apart from the rest of the sheep who now comprised the board of Yuy Inc.

As he walked down the halls of Yuy Inc. headquarters to the boardroom, he was reminded of more pleasant days, three years before, when he had been an honored and trusted member of this board; when Heero Yuy had been prepared to defy his own father, just to please Treize.

While those days were long past, Treize was looking forward to the future. His current game of calculation and manipulation promised to be much more exciting than the last.

He opened the heavy doors and stepped into the room that he had been bodily removed from three years ago and smirked.

The board meeting had already begun. He had timed it so that he arrived a few minutes late, just as the agenda was being presented.

The look on Heero's face when he walked into the room was one that Treize planned to treasure for many years to come. Shock, anger, and then an incredibly cold blankness flitted across his face.

Duo, of course, was out of his seat and halfway around the table before he had even realized he was moving. He seemed to catch himself and froze, a scowl on his face and hatred in his eyes.

Trowa Barton, seated behind Heero, merely looked up, a neutral expression on his face.

"Treize." Heero's voice managed to convey an entire book's worth of sentiment in just one word.

"Heero. Duo. Ladies and gentlemen. I _do_ apologize for being late."

Duo arched an eyebrow.

"You haven't been invited to a board meeting in more than three years and I'm kind of confused about why you're here now."

Treize smirked at him.

"Surely the CEO of Yuy Inc. should know who the majority stakeholders in his company are."

"What are you implying?" Heero demanded.

"Only that, like Ms. Darlian," Treize nodded to Relena, who remained impassive at the table, "I have recently acquired a significant portion of Yuy Inc. stock, and with that the right to sit in on these meetings."

Heero's scowl was briefly transferred to Relena. Treize made a mental note to inquire about HER introduction to the board. He wondered just how poorly Heero had taken it – and if the man would ever realize that his very inability to respect the woman was what fueled her so.

"Everyone with a significant stake in the company is already here," Duo pointed out, gesturing around the table, "only –" his jaw snapped shut.

"Yes, only Celia Yuy is absent. It took very little persuasion for her to sell her shares to me. It's interesting, that your own mother felt the need to ensure that her husband's legacy was entrusted to more mature hands than her sons."

"I've received no notice about this," Heero growled.

Treize nodded towards Trowa, and the Macbook open in front of him.

"My office emailed over the necessary paperwork. Your assistant – so sorry, _lawyer_ – should have them by now, surely."

Trowa's gaze chilled to subzero before he looked down at his screen.

There were a few moments of tense silence before he looked up and nodded to Heero.

"It seems that Treize now holds twenty percent of the stock shares in Yuy Inc.," Trowa clarified.

"It isn't a majority," Duo pointed out.

"Of course not. But then, Odin was never dictatorial in the way he ran this board. A three-quarter majority is required to pass ANY measure which deviates from current objectives. And any member with more than five percent of stock shares is considered a voting member of the board." Treize smirked. "Surely, as CEO –"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I've got it." Duo's glare rivaled even Trowa's for intensity.

"Well, if we've fulfilled Duo's desire for drama, should you continue presenting the agenda?" Treize asked and took the seat at the opposite end from Heero. He knew that the seat was traditionally left empty. At first, because it had been Celia's seat for many years before she retired from active involvement on the board, and more recently in deference to Odin's memory.

Duo finally sat back down, but not after nearly berating Treize for taking the seat.

Heero held his gaze for a long moment before continuing on with his agenda discussion.

Treize remained silent for most of the meeting, allowing Duo and Heero to regain a measure of equilibrium.

At last, however, discussion turned towards the negotiations for the acquisition of a Paris based engineering firm. There had been a great deal of trouble, after initially promising discussions. Treize, of course, had been secretly attempting to buy the firm as well, and was pleased that his ploy seemed to be creating so much hassle for Heero.

"It sounds as though someone skilled in negotiations should take over," Treize murmured after listening to many of the board members propose solutions to the various setbacks.

" _You_ do not represent the company in that capacity," Heero said, instantly defensive.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Treize said.

"Heero, perhaps this would be an appropriate situation for the President of Yuy Inc. to deal with negotiations," Relena put in.

"No," Duo instantly spoke up. "Heero needs to stay here." Unsaid was Duo's worry that Treize would attempt to destroy the company without Heero's presence on the ground.

"Well, as CEO –"

"For the love of God! I KNOW what my job title is!" Duo groaned.

Treize could see that most of the board members were _not_ amused by Duo's outburst. Treize smirked. Sometimes, it was so easy to manipulate people.

"I _could_ go," Duo said, sounding unsure. He looked at Heero.

Heero, however, was holding Treize's gaze, searching for his motivation for even introducing the idea.

"You don't speak French," Heero pointed out.

"Neither do you," Duo muttered, "which is probably why we've got such great translators on staff here."

"You also don't have a legal background –"

"I –"

"Trowa will go with you," Heero added.

"I – okay." Duo had been ready to argue more, but the lawyer's name had forestalled him. Duo shot a slightly uneasy look in Trowa's direction.

Treize guessed that Heero was unaware of their relationship. He had been amused when Zechs confided his double failure in regards to both Trowa and Duo, and he had wondered just how to use the information to his advantage. He was confident that sending Duo and Trowa off to Paris for a week, and then dropping hints to Heero over that time would do much to unravel the bond that Duo and Heero had seemed to reaffirm. That, coupled with the anger and resentment that Duo would feel as soon as he knew who he really was… Treize was confident he would be running this company before the end of the month.

The rest of the meeting wrapped up quickly, and Treize left before anyone else could stop him. He would let the other board members come to _him_ to form alliances.

* * *

In order to put his plan into full motion, he needed to make one more visit.

He found Wufei at a private gym, in a boxing ring, angrily and thoroughly beating his opponent.

Treize watched in amusement and appreciation. He admired the way Wufei moved like a dangerous animal, all muscle, coiled to strike out at his opponent whenever an advantage presented itself. Sweat lent his golden skin a sheen that only added to his exoticism.

Once the match finally ended – Wufei's opponent refused to rise after being knocked down for the fifth time in less than two minutes – Treize waited patiently while Wufei removed his gloves and mouth guard. He was pleasantly surprised to see the younger man also pull off his sweat socked shirt and use it to mop his face.

Wufei's back was to Treize, and he was able to see a small but very distinct dragon tattoo at the small of Wufei's back.

Treize couldn't decide if it was horribly clichéd or wonderfully ironic.

Finally, Wufei left the ring and noticed Treize leaning against one of the many support columns that broke up the exercise floor.

"Go away," Wufei said, not breaking stride as he walked past Treize.

"Strangely, that was the most polite greeting I've received today."

"With your charming personality?" Wufei asked sarcastically, his face twisted by a sneer.

Treize followed Wufei into the locker room.

"I'd like you to have dinner with me this weekend," Treize said. He leaned against a row of lockers opposite from where Wufei stopped.

"I'd like you to go to hell – apparently we don't always get what we want."

"You've grown feistier," Treize commented. He was pleased by the development, but wondered what had inspired it.

"I've grown frustrated – with my life, and with your constant interference in it. You ruined my father's life, but I refuse to let you do the same to me. I don't care what sort of manipulations you have planned, I'm not going to get tangled in your web."

Treize sighed. "Wufei, I'm a businessman, and I'm ruthless in my acquisition of assets. It doesn't make me the spawn of Satan."

Wufei gave him a look that clearly said he disagreed.

"I would like to… make amends for the damage I have done to you."

"You can't," Wufei bit out.

"No, not regarding your father. But, well, I'm sure you are aware that I stand to gain control of Yuy Inc. if Heero and Duo fail to keep the company running smoothly this coming year."

Wufei scowled and remained silent.

"Obviously, I would like that to happen. However, I don't want it to just fall into my hands. I ENJOY the chase, the hunt." He said the last with a lingering look at Wufei's exposed torso.

"Get to your point," Wufei snapped.

"I have recently acquired information that, if delivered into the right hands, could make life for the Yuy family very, very difficult. The media would have a field day with it – and I daresay that it would rupture the family. I've managed to keep the information private for the time being, but you know how reporters are – they rarely keep their word."

"Today," Wufei growled.

Treize pulled out a manila envelope and passed it to Wufei.

"If this came from me, Duo and Heero would suspect that I had engineered the information. But from you, they will likely trust it."

Wufei scowled but took the envelope. He opened it and pulled out the photos and documents it contained. He was silent for several minutes.

"Why should I trust it?" He demanded at last.

"Don't – do your own research into the matter. It wasn't that difficult to uncover."

"Why are you doing this?" Wufei demanded.

"I don't want my victory to be too easy," Treize answered with a smirk.

Wufei still looked unconvinced.

"Ask Celia. Surely she would be able to confirm the veracity of the birth certificate and the adoption papers."

"It isn't her name," Wufei pointed out. "The birth mother is listed as Helen Maxwell."

"Yes, but the signature – _that_ is Celia's handwriting."

Wufei frowned again.

"You _want_ me to give them this information. You _want_ this to come between them."

"Of course I do. But just think of what the alternative will do – what will happen if the media gets hold of it first?"

Wufei winced.

"Exactly. This is entirely your choice Wufei."

"You bastard. I'll never be forgiven for this!"

Treize smirked.

"After you've lost the respect and trust of the Yuy family, perhaps you will find some room in your schedule to meet me for dinner?" Treize suggested.

He left before Wufei could respond.

* * *

That evening he called his lawyer.

"Mr. Treize?" She answered on the first ring, as she always did.

He smiled at the familiar address.

"Une, I think it's time that Mrs. Fontaine visited her daughter, don't you?"

There was silence on the line for a long moment.

"There is nothing in the provisional adoption agreement that prohibits her from doing so."

"Excellent. Early next week, I should think."

"Very well."

Treize hung up the phone and finally allowed himself to relax and enjoy the game. The pieces were finally being organized to his liking, and he was determined to guarantee victory.

* * *

Next up: A week in Paris!

* * *

**Chapter 17: Chapter 17**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: I'm sorry this took a while to get out. Thanks for sticking with me though! And SOOO much thanks to all of the reviews I've gotten! Also, this chapter isn't super fast paced – the beginning is mostly filler, but by the end we get exciting!

A/N #3: This story is winding down, and as it does, I'm starting work on my next fic, Umbra which is a *gasp* 1x2 fic. The first chapter is already out, with another to follow soon. Check it out.

A/N #4: Expect this to end in just a few chapters.

**A Little Less Normal**

Chapter XVII

Friday morning found Duo desperately hating his job.

Originally, the idea of going to Paris for a week with Trowa to negotiate the buyout of a company had seemed like a great idea. For all of two seconds, before Duo remembered Nathalie. It wasn't possible for her to come with him – she had missed too much school already, she didn't have a passport, and social services had assured him that he would be brought up on criminal charges if he took her outside of the country without permission from her mother. All of which meant that she would be staying with Celia for a week.

It also meant that their trip to the pound on Saturday to get a dog was postponed. Duo couldn't decide if Nathalie was most upset about the dog, or about him leaving her for a week.

At breakfast she pushed her food around on her plate instead of eating it.

"Why can't someone else go?" She asked, not for the first time.

Duo sighed. "Because this is my job."

"I hate your job. Why can't you be my teacher again?"

"Because I need to help Heero. This time next year, I WILL be a teacher again – and you're going to hate how much time I have on my hands. But – Nat, I'm probably not going to be your teacher again."

Her frown deepened.

"Why not?"

"Well, a couple of reasons. First, it wouldn't be fair to the other kids – I am your…parent, now, so I'm naturally going to be a little biased towards you. But also, you're going to be going to a new school next year."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Why? Why can't I stay at the Charter school? I've been doing my homework and everything!"

This was not the best time for this conversation, but Duo had been putting it off for a while anyway.

"It's not that. In fact, all of your teachers have told me how impressed they are with you – they say you're doing a great job."

"Then why can't I stay?"

Dr. Sally Po, the administrator of the school, had called Duo last week to remind him that most private schools were beginning pre-registration soon, and the statement had momentarily confused him. Until she pointed out that, if Duo was to become Nathalie's legal guardian, it would not be possible for her to continue at the Bronx Charter School. She was outside of the district, and Duo's income made put her very far outside of their limits. The conversation had taken Duo completely aback, and he had been trying to figure out how to tell Nathalie ever since.

"Because we live in Brooklyn, and the school is only supposed to be for kids in the Bronx. And… Nat, this is a chance for you to start over – go to a new school, make new friends."

"I don't want to."

"It's just something to think about. When I get back, we'll start looking at a few schools, okay?"

Duo had his heart set on sending her to East Gate International, where he and Heero had gone, but he was also willing to shop around. Maybe she would feel better somewhere else.

"Can I go to Luc and Lilly's school?" Nat asked, a sudden spark of hope in her eyes.

Duo winced.

"No, kiddo. They live downtown, and they go to a public school."

"But –"

"Nat, I'm sorry, but this isn't a negotiation. Next year you _have_ to go to a different school, and you can't go their school. When I get back, we'll look at some schools and see which ones you like. Heero and I went to East Gate, and I really think you would like it."

"Whatever." She sat back in her chair and looked away.

"Hey, I'm sorry that I have to go out of town. But when I get back –"

"I said whatever. It's fine. I don't care." She got up and took her plate to the sink, dumping it in loudly and then walking out of the room.

Duo was left completely confused. He ran a hand through his hair and checked his watch. He needed to head to the airport.

He found Nathalie sitting on the stairs on the first floor, arms wrapped around her knees and backpack at her feet.

"I'm coming back," he told her, as he sat down beside her.

"Whatever," she said, again, but this time her voice was hoarse.

"You've got to tell me what's wrong, Nat. I can't fix it unless I know what's wrong."

"I don't want you to go," she admitted after a prolonged silence.

"I know. I don't want to go either. I'm sorry we have to wait to get our dog." He added.

"It was stupid anyway. Just a dog."

"Hey – hey." He turned her and forced her to look at him. Her face was sullen and pinched, and it looked like she was struggling not to cry.

He had a sudden insight. She wasn't sulking because she was getting left behind, she was worried that he was starting to lie to her. That he was making promises and not keeping them, just like her mother had done. It didn't even matter what the promise was – just the fact that he wasn't keeping it. _That_ was why she was so upset.

"Nat, I get home on Thursday. Next Saturday you and I are going to the pound and we are getting _any_ dog you want, okay? Everything's going to be fine. I'm going to come home, and we're going to fine, okay? I love you, kiddo."

"You're just saying that. It doesn't matter." She pulled away from him and stomped off.

"Nat –"

Outside, the sound of a car horn interrupted him. The taxi had arrived.

"Damnit," he muttered.

"Sara!"

His housekeeper appeared a moment later, coming down the stairs to see him off.

"Nat's in some kind of funk. I – just, tell her I said bye and I love her, will you?"

Sara frowned, but nodded.

"Thanks. See you next week. Oh – and tell her I'm going to call her tonight, okay?"

"I will. Now you should go or you will be late."

"Yeah, and then I'll have Heero pissed at me too," Duo muttered. He grabbed his suitcase, which he had placed by the door earlier that morning, and his very infrequently used briefcase.

The cab ride to JFK was uneventful, and allowed Duo to stew over the argument with Nathalie. They had had minor arguments before – over homework, teeth brushing, television. But this was the first time in many weeks that she had resurrected her apathetic façade and actually refused to talk to him. He regretted telling her about the school situation, and he realized that he should have waited until he came home to do so.

Trowa was waiting for him by the Air France check-in, and Duo felt the familiar tug of pleasure at just the sight of the other man. At _least_ this would be a chance to spend some time alone with Trowa.

"Hey," Duo greeted him with a smile.

"Morning," Trowa smiled back, just slightly, but it was enough to make Duo think that this day would get better.

"I'll apologize if you were expecting a private jet – we Yuy's don't believe in that sort of thing." Duo got into the check-in line, and Trowa settled in beside him.

"There go all of my hopes and dreams," Trowa muttered.

"Dad thought it was a colossal waste of money – and Heero and I both don't see the point of using that much fuel, just for yourself."

"It's a huge status symbol in the Middle East," Trowa said. "Quatre went everywhere on his private jet. But – it's actually nice to be normal, for a change, and fly on a regular plane."

"Yeah, well, we're still flying First Class, so don't get too excited about rubbing elbows with normal people," Duo assured him.

Trowa smirked.

"Was Nat disappointed about you leaving?"

Duo groaned.

"Who knows? We had a fight, and she wouldn't speak to me before I left – so – _that_ will be something fun to deal with when I get back."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's normal, I guess. I don't know. I feel like I'm just wandering blindly in the dark with her so much of the time – I think I know what I'm doing, but then I do something wrong and fuck everything up."

"You're doing a great job," Trowa assured him.

Duo shrugged, but before he could continue the conversation, he was gestured forward to check in.

After getting their tickets, they went through security and then made a stop at the airport Starbucks before heading to their gate.

"So, did Heero get a chance to brief you on the agenda?" Duo asked after they had settled in to wait for boarding.

"Not really."

Duo nodded.

"He called me at the crack of dawn this morning – and sent me at least five emails about it. We won't meet with the company execs until Monday, and hopefully we'll be able to wrap up negotiations by Tuesday or Wednesday, and then come back home on Thursday."

"Why are we flying out today?" Trowa asked.

"Well, since we'll be in Paris, Mother wanted me to have lunch with some of her friends – so Sunday we'll be spending the afternoon bored out of our minds. But we don't have to do anything tomorrow."

Duo slanted a look over at Trowa.

"Except, maybe, spend the day in bed making up for lost time," he said in a speculative tone.

Trowa smirked.

"I'm still not convinced you didn't somehow arrange this entire thing just to spend a week alone with me."

"Even I'm not _that_ diabolical. But I am grateful for the opportunity."

"So, when we get back, we're going to confess to Heero that we spent the entire week locked in our hotel, screwing each other's brains out?" Trowa asked.

Duo chuckled. "We'll manage to squeeze some work in. But yeah, if it's okay with you, I would like to tell him that we're together."

Trowa looked thoughtful but nodded in agreement to the plan.

"Quatre is in town the week after next," he said after a few moments of companionable silence.

Duo felt a number of emotions at the mention of Trowa's former lover. None of them were positive.

"No chance you mean a different Quatre besides the one who stomped all over your heart, is there?" Duo asked.

Trowa sighed.

"Okay, just had to check. Um… well… I don't really know what to say."

Trowa shrugged.

"He's got some event at the MET – his family donated a few Sumerian statues – and he'll be in town for a few days. I should spend time with him. I haven't really spoken to him that much since I moved here."

"Since he dumped you for a girl," Duo clarified, not to be cruel to Trowa, but because in his mind, the move and the silence were easily justified.

"Quatre is my oldest friend. Whatever happened to us romantically, he'll still always be part of my life."

Duo winced.

"It would be nice if you met him."

"I already _have_. He was a year behind me at East Gate, you know. Heero and Wufei know him too."

"Right. But you haven't spoken to him in twelve years."

"Yeah, but… fine. We can go out to dinner or something. I just, Trowa – I can't promise to be that nice to this guy. He treated you like shit, and he's been doing _that_ for eleven years. I'm sorry, but I just don't know how much I'm going to like this guy because of that."

"He wants me to be happy. I think he would like to know that I am."

Trowa looked sincere, and he looked like his mind was made up on the matter. Duo shrugged and gave in. Trowa honestly was not that demanding, so if he really wanted this, there was no reason for Duo to argue the point.

The rest of their wait to get on the plane was in silence, and Duo couldn't help but feel a low simmer of tension about this week, now. First a fight with Nathalie, and then very nearly one with Trowa. He wasn't sure this week was going to go at all according to plan.

Air France had always been one of Duo's favorite airlines, and he loved their first class cabin. It had been a few years since he had flown on one of their planes, but the upgrades they had made were amazing. The two seats that he and Trowa were had almost felt as if they were part of a separate cabin. The seats were spacious recliners, with a console between them, and a bench by their feet.

"Listen, don't take this personally or anything, but as soon as we get off the ground, I'm going to be asleep," Duo told Trowa as they settled in.

Trowa looked at him with a slight frown.

"Something about planes just puts me out – swear to God. It's been like this my whole life. So… these next few hours, you're going to be on your own."

"You aren't just trying to avoid talking to me?" Trowa asked, a teasing tone to his voice.

"Promise."

"Sleep well," Trowa told him.

Duo grinned.

"Oh I will, I've got lots of good things to dream about." He winked at Trowa and was rewarded with a chuckle from the other man.

They managed to make small talk as the rest of the plane boarded, and Duo tried to put thoughts of Quatre at the back of his mind. If he was honest with himself, then he had to admit that he wasn't looking forward to Trowa seeing his former lover again because he was jealous, and because he was worried that Trowa would go back to him. Trowa had been in love with the man for eleven years, and Duo wasn't sure he could compete with that, not with Quatre in person.

He was grateful when the plane took off and, true to form, the sound of the engine immediately lulled him into sleep.

Seven hours later they arrived in Paris, rumpled and a little stiff from the flight.

Duo was grateful that he had arranged a car service while they were in Paris, and was relieved to pass off the baggage to their driver and let Trowa conduct a conversation with him, entirely in French, on the drive to their hotel.

When they arrived at the Ritz, he couldn't help but smirk at Trowa's expression as he took in the hotel.

"I had dinner here once," Trowa said to him as they walked into the sumptuous lobby, "but I never thought I'd see what the rooms looked like."

"Yeah, well, Mother insists that there is absolutely _nowhere_ else to stay when in Paris – unless, of course, it's at the townhouse – so I've seen the inside of these rooms more than I ever wanted to."

Duo checked them in, grateful for the multilingual customer service, and then a bell hop led them to their suite. It was the Coco Chanel suite, and as much as Duo felt silly _saying_ that, it was also his favorite suite in the hotel. Whenever he and his mother had travelled to Paris without Heero and Odin, they had stayed in this suite. He had a lot of fond memories of it, and even when he travelled on his own, he sometimes reserved the enormous suite. It was also an excellent business suite – with two bedrooms, plenty of space to work in, and state of the art telecommunications equipment.

Trowa was looking both happy and a little bewildered, and Duo thought it was a cute look on him.

"Feel like being back home?" He asked.

Trowa nodded.

"A bit – my apartment wasn't _quite_ this nice, though."

Duo smirked.

"Yeah, well, we might not believe in private jets, but us Yuys _do_ believe in luxury hotels. So… it's just after eleven. How about we clean up and then see if we can find something to eat?"

Trowa nodded. "Sounds good."

Duo watched Trowa wander off in search of the other bedroom and just barely refrained from suggesting that he put his suitcase in Duo's bedroom. He didn't want to push the other man – especially considering the tension he was still feeling over the Quatre situation.

He unpacked his clothes before sitting down on the enormous bed and calling Celia's house to talk to Nathalie.

The phone was answered by a maid, who quickly passed the phone off to Celia, who immediately informed Duo that Nathalie was behaving horribly.

Duo sighed. He had been afraid that this would happen.

"What did she do?" He asked, resigned to hear a litany of woes from his mother.

"She made a fuss over Howard picking her up from school, she has refused to do her homework, and she is currently refusing to come to the dinner table and eat."

"Well, we do usually eat around seven," Duo tried to argue.

"That is irrelevant. She has never behaved like this, nor has she ever used a disrespectful tone towards the staff or myself before."

"I think she's just nervous about me being gone. I'm sorry."

"She won't come to the phone," Celia said after a pause.

Duo groaned and fell back on the bed.

"Fine. Just… tell her I love her and keep an eye on her, please?"

"I had planned to take her to the ballet tomorrow, but we might be staying in if this behavior continues. Call around six tomorrow and we will see."

"Thank you for keeping her."

"Of course. She's my granddaughter, now. It wasn't as though you could have left her with Heero. He wouldn't know what to do with a child."

Duo chuckled.

"He'd make sure she had daily exercise, at least."

"Undoubtedly. Good night, darling."

"Night."

Duo hung up the phone and forced himself to get up. He wished that he could be home with Nathalie right now, but he was here in Paris, and there was nothing he could do to change that. He was frustrated that he didn't know how to fix this for Nathalie, and he was frustrated over the looming threat of Quatre Winner, and he was also, very secretly, terrified that he would ruin this deal for Heero and disgrace his brother.

The shower relaxed him, and by the time he finished drying and brushing his hair he felt ready to face the world again.

He walked out into his bedroom wearing only a towel and still braiding his hair. He opened his door and looked into the sitting room and saw that Trowa was already dressed and relaxing on one of the antique chairs, reading a book.

"Hey, sorry it's taking me so long," Duo called out.

Trowa looked up and then smiled at Duo's informal attire.

"I'm not quite sure where you think we're going to get dinner, dressed like that," he commented.

Duo grinned back at him and leaned against the door.

"All of the most fashionable places in Paris are sans dress code, anyway," Duo said flippantly.

"Meaning you want room service?"

Duo had actually been hoping he could talk Trowa into that.

"If you wouldn't mind – I'm not really up for a big night out, and it _is_ getting late. We should try to adjust to the time difference."

"What would you like?" Trowa asked, rising from his chair and crossing the room to pick up the room service menu beside the phone.

"Something light – I don't really care what."

Trowa nodded, already absently flipping through the menu.

Duo left him and went to dress himself. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a lightweight gray sweater before joining Trowa back in the sitting room.

"The food should be up in a few minutes," Trowa told him.

"Great." Duo sat down across from Trowa.

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Trowa asked.

Duo shrugged.

"Just thinking too much. I'll be better tomorrow."

"You've got nothing to worry about," Trowa said, his voice soft and soothing.

Duo looked up, wondering what Trowa was hinting at.

"If it's the negotiations – you're going to do fine."

Duo nodded.

"We'll see. Not much I can do about that until Monday, anyway."

"So what else is it?"

"Just – Nathalie's miserable without me there, and – and I'm freaked out about Quatre. I mean, you've been in love with the guy for eleven years!"

"Kids are pretty resilient. When you get home, Nathalie will forgive you and things will be fine." Trowa sighed and looked uncomfortable. "I don't know what to say about Quatre. But it's not like you have anything to worry about. He's not interested in me, and I _do_ love you. I wish we had been able to spend more time together this week, because it feels like forever since we last talked about it, but I do want to be in a relationship with you. I'm not looking for an excuse to run away."

The speech helped to further soothe Duo, and he was grateful for how level headed Trowa was sometimes.

"Besides, I'd rather _not_ think about Quatre when I've been looking forward to spending the weekend naked with you."

Duo grinned.

"Oh really?"

"Really. In fact –"

Trowa was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Duo groaned, but Trowa got up and answered it.

A waiter entered with a cart of covered dishes, empty glasses, a carafe of water, and a bottle of red wine.

Duo patiently waited while the waiter uncovered the dishes to reveal an assortment of cheese, fruit, and crackers. The waiter then poured each of them a glass of wine and made his exit.

"Anyway," Duo said after taking a sip of the wine, which turned out to be a Syrah, "you were saying something?"

"I was going to say that I ordered us food that would keep, because I was looking forward to having sex with you on that ridiculously huge bed in your room." Trowa nodded behind Duo towards the open door to his room.

Duo grinned and set down his wineglass.

"Why didn't you just say that earlier?" He pulled Trowa to him and kissed him, enjoying the taste of the wine on the other man's breath and the heat of his mouth and tongue.

* * *

They spent most of Saturday making up for lost time, but by the evening, Trowa insisted that they get dressed and walk around the city. He hadn't been there in years, and he wanted to show Duo where he had lived.

It was a pleasant evening, and Duo enjoyed having Trowa as a tour guide and translator. Trowa seemed more at ease here in Paris than he was in New York, and Duo wondered if Trowa ever wanted to move back.

He asked that question as they sat down to dinner at a small café not far from Trowa's old apartment. The owner had actually recognized Trowa, even after a two year absence, and Trowa had hugged the old woman before introducing Duo as his lover, which had earned him his own hug.

"You must really miss it here," Duo said as they sat down at a secluded table in the back.

"I had a very different life here. There was a lot of freedom not knowing anyone, being a foreigner. It was a fresh start for me."

"Do you ever think about moving back?"

Trowa shrugged.

"Not really. I'd like to visit it more often. I haven't been back since I left two years ago."

"The townhouse that Dad left Heero is pretty nice – Heero likes to come here for Christmas."

"Your family doesn't have a big gathering?"

"No, not since I graduated college. Mom and Dad liked to travel – so they always went somewhere for it, and Heero always came here. I usually spent it in the City."

"By yourself?" Trowa was frowning, and Duo realized that it probably sounded a little pathetic.

"No, I mean, I had a household staff to keep me company, and I had a lot of friends. Hilde moved to the City after we graduated, so we always spent Christmas Eve together. I usually do some volunteer work on the actual day, however." Duo frowned as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Guess that's going to change now, though. I'll have to start a new tradition for Nat. I wonder if she'll want to go away or stay home…" Duo trailed off as he thought of the possibilities.

"You'll come up with something wonderful," Trowa assured him.

Duo grinned.

"Or at least sufficiently entertaining to keep her from running away for another year."

They ate their meal in a companionable silence, and then walked back to the hotel. They spent a few more hours having sex before midnight, and Duo's scheduled call to Nathalie.

Once again, she did NOT want to speak with him. Duo gave in again, swearing to himself that she _would_ speak to him on Sunday, whether she wanted to or not.

By Monday morning, Duo still hadn't spoken to Nathalie, and he was back to worrying about the business deal. Even showering with Trowa that morning did little to calm him, and he was jittery and a little cranky as they made their way through the Paris metro system to the headquarters of the firm Heero had his heart set on acquiring.

The entire morning was spent in a seemingly endless round of negotiations over points that Duo _knew_ had already been agreed to, but with the company board had decided to revisit. By lunch, even Trowa seemed frustrated, and Duo was starting to despair of them gaining any ground.

"It's like they're stalling for time," Duo said as they grabbed a sandwich and coffee at a café near the office.

"But why?"

"That's what I can't figure out. I wonder if there's another buyer?"

"Maybe. Or – what would Treize stand to gain by this deal falling through?"

"Everything. Right now, Heero and I are the only ones who really want to move the company in this direction. If this doesn't work out then we look like idiots and everyone else looks like they know better. It'll be a major setback for any future plans Heero has."

Trowa nodded.

"Shit." Duo started to piece things together. "We didn't even HAVE issues with this deal until a few days ago. I'll bet Treize is behind this whole thing."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Well, we need to figure out what he promised them and then work around that. There's no way I'm letting him win this."

It was easier said than done. The afternoon's negotiations were at least moving forward, but it was clear that the company still had reservations about being bought out by Yuy Inc. instead of whatever puppet company Treize had set up. They finished the day only slightly closer to a deal than they had been begun, and Duo was exhausted and frustrated by the lack of progress.

It was yet another reminder of how much he hated the business world. He desperately missed teaching, and he despised having to sit in an office all day, wearing a suit, arguing with fat, rich men instead of doing something he loved. He honestly didn't know if he could take an entire year of this.

They ate a silent dinner at the hotel restaurant before going back to the suite.

"I hate this job," Duo said as he flopped down onto the bed.

Trowa took off his shoes, jacket, and tie before joining him on the bed.

"I hadn't noticed."

Duo glared at him.

"Hey, you _chose_ this career."

"So did you – you didn't have to agree to Odin's will."

"Don't remind me. God, I still have ten more months of this to put up with."

"As soon as you and Heero figure out what to do with Treize things will get easier," Trowa assured him.

"Don't forget that Relena's decided to start playing in the big leagues too. I can't figure out _what_ she's doing on the board."

"It does seem a bit out of character for her," Trowa agreed. He rolled over so that he was on his side, looking down at Duo. "You a _re_ good at this. As frustrated as you were with today, you did make progress, and they are starting to listen to you and rethink their position."

"Yeah, at this rate we'll be able to go home next month."

"Surely spending time alone with me in Paris isn't _that_ bad," Trowa teased.

Duo grinned.

"No, that part is great." He leaned up to kiss Trowa and pulled the other man on top of him, reveling in the feel of his long body pressed against his own.

Before Duo could do more, his phone rang and Trowa pulled away.

Duo recognized the ring tone as Heero's and he groaned. His brother no doubt wanted to check in and would definitely _not_ be pleased with his lack of progress.

"Hey, what's up?" Duo answered, trying to sound casual.

"Duo, something's happened."

The last time he had heard those words on the phone, they had been followed by the announcement of his father's death.

"Like I've been fired from the board?" Duo suggested, refusing to give in to the immediate sense of dread those words created in him.

"Nathalie's missing."

Those two words sucked all of the oxygen out of his lungs, and he sat there numbly.

"What do you mean, missing?" He finally managed to ask. The bed shifted as Trowa sat up beside him.

"Howard went to pick her up at school and she wasn't there. Hilde's talking to some of the other teachers, but no one saw her after recess."

"You mean she missed her afternoon class and _no one_ said anything?" Duo demanded, fear and anger fighting for dominance in his mind.

"Duo, calm down. We've got the police involved, and the social worker –"

"Oh Jesus fuck. Not that nosey bitch."

"-is here with me right now. She'd like to talk to you."

"Fine. Fine. Put her on."

There was a pause as Heero passed off the phone, and then the familiar, prim voice of Felicity Vern was on the line.

"Mr. Maxwell?"

"Ms. Vern."

"We've already interviewed your housekeeper, and teachers at the school. We're trying to put together a list of possible locations we might find Nathalie. Can you suggest anywhere?"

"Yeah, just about anywhere in the entire City! Look, have you talked to the teacher who was on duty during recess? Who was supposed to be watching the kids? Have they –"

"Mr. Maxwell, we are in the process of interviewing the teaching staff, and we are working on trying to find Nathalie. I know this is very stressful to hear, but I need you to calm down and think of anything that might help us find her."

"We had a fight before I left," Duo muttered. "She didn't want me to go on this trip. I – damnit I shouldn't have left her. She might have – "

"Mr. Maxwell, no one is blaming you for this."

"Yeah, well, it's still my fault, isn't it? I never should have agreed to –" Duo stopped himself and swallowed hard. He forced himself to draw in a deep breath. "She might have gone to Van Cortland Park, or to Barneys."

"Okay, great. We'll check there."

"Could I speak with my brother again, please?" Duo asked.

"Of course."

"It's me," Heero said when he had the phone back.

"I'm coming home. I'm sorry. I need to be there."

"I understand. Is Trowa available?"

"Sure." Duo passed off the phone to Trowa, who had clearly overheard most of what had been said.

Duo didn't bother to listen to their conversation, but started to pack, forcing himself to NOT think about the fact that Nathalie could be anywhere, or that he might never see her again, or that she might never WANT to see him again.

"I'm coming with you," Trowa told him as he finished zipping up his suitcase. He was holding out Duo's phone.

"Heero didn't want you to stay –"

"I think you need me more right now," Trowa said.

Duo hugged him,

"Fuck, Heero's going to be pissed at me over this."

"No, he isn't. He understands." Trowa kissed him. "Let me pack and then we'll go."

By the time Trowa was packed and they were in the car on the way to the airport, Duo had managed to calm himself enough to start trying to think through where Nathalie could have gone. He texted Heero every place he could think of that she might have gone.

They managed to get two seats on the next flight to New York – coach tickets that promised seven hours of hell – but Duo would have been willing to swim if he could.

For the first time in his life, Duo didn't fall asleep on the plane, and the flight was possibly the longest he had ever experienced. Only Trowa's soothing presence kept him from prowling the aisles.

"Did anyone call her mother?" Trowa asked somewhere over the Atlantic.

"Uh - I don't know. I mean, it's not like Nathalie would go back there, right?"

Trowa was frowning.

"No, not by choice."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just wondering – would the school – a teacher – have released Nathalie to her mother?"

Duo tried to remember what the school policy was regarding children in foster care, but Nathalie's situation was fairly unique. There was no restraining order or anything else preventing Alima Fontaine from seeing her daughter, and since Duo was only a temporary guardian, there wasn't anything to prevent her from checking Nathalie out of school.

"Yeah, I guess. I just – why?"

"I don't know. I think it's something they should look into."

Coach did NOT have in flight phones they could use, and when Duo tried to plead with a stewardess he knew he came off sounding like a crazy person. Trowa, however, was able to very calmly ask the woman, in French, if he could use one of the business class phones to make an emergency phone call.

The stewardess easily caved to Trowa's good looks and reasonable manner, and led him away. Which left Duo alone for the next twenty minutes.

When Trowa came back he was scowling.

"They can't get in touch with her – with Mrs. Fontaine."

"Well, that doesn't really mean anything," Duo pointed out. "I still don't see what she's got to do with any of this."

"Do you really think it's likely that Nathalie would just leave school in the middle of the day?"

"I don't know! I mean, she hasn't spoken to me in three days! What if she DID decide to go back to her mother's? Fuck, what kind of a shitty parent am I that she would do that?"

"Duo, I think you need to consider the possibility that Mrs. Fontaine abducted Nathalie."

Duo shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense. She doesn't want anything to do with her."

"No, not really, but she's not a very balanced person. The things she said at the hearing – I just think there's a possibility that she might be trying to blackmail you for money. Or – well, probably just –"

"Or what?" Duo asked.

"Nothing."

"Say it."

"Or she could be trying to punish Nathalie."

"Jesus Christ." Duo buried his head in his hands. "So either Nathalie hates me and ran away, or her mother kidnapped her and is beating the shit out of her. Perfect. Fucking fantastic."

Duo spent the rest of the flight fighting off increasingly nightmarish scenarios of where Nathalie might be.

They took a cab from the airport to Celia's Park Avenue townhouse. By the time they arrived it was nearly midnight, and there was still no word on Nathalie's location.

Heero, Hilde, Celia, a police detective, and Felicity Vern were there to meet them.

"Duo, I'm so sorry!" Hilde rushed him as soon as he entered the living room and hugged him.

Duo numbly accepted the hug, looking past her to see Heero's grim face and his mother's tear stained one.

"Have you been able to find her mother?" Trowa asked.

The police detective frowned.

"No, there was no answer from the listed phone and no one answered at the residence. However, this seems like a very clear cut case of a runaway. Ms. Vern has strong doubts about whether Nathalie would go back to her mother's home, so I think we can rule out any possibility of finding her there."

"What about the possibility of Alima Fontaine abducting Nathalie?" Trowa persisted.

"I'm not sure there's sufficient motive to consider that," the detective said, frowning.

"She's been missing for more than ten hours – surely that's motive enough to consider anything."

"And we _did_ call the mother and go by the residence."

"But – "

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The detective asked.

"He's our lawyer," Heero spoke up.

"Uh huh." The detective scribbled something on his notebook. "Well, listen folks, we've got units looking for her. There's not much else we can do tonight. Why don't you try to get some sleep, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything, okay?"

Duo scowled, but Vern and the detective were already moving towards the foyer.

"Mr. Maxwell, I will call you first thing tomorrow morning," Vern told him as she passed him.

"But – what – isn't there something we can do _now_?" Duo asked, desperate. He had just seven hours on a plane feeling completely impotent, and he had arrived home just to feel the exact same way.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but the best thing that _you_ can do is be calm and try to let the police do their job. Try to get some sleep." She reached out and patted his arm, smiled grimly, and then left.

"Okay, um...we could check the shelters, right? Around the school?" Duo asked into the ensuing silence.

Celia frowned.

"Darling –"

"Mother, I need to DO something. There might be a chance she went there. I don't know what else to do."

"I'm going with you," Heero announced.

"We could go to Port Authority and check again?" Hilde suggested, looking at Trowa.

"Good plan," Heero said. "Mother, call us if you hear anything? And try to get some rest." He kissed her on the cheek.

Duo followed his example, and then they made their escape. He watched as Hilde and Trowa flagged down a cab while Heero's driver was summoned.

"We're going to find her," Heero assured him.

"Fuck I hope so. Um – can we go by my house and get the car?"

Heero frowned, but passed on the instructions to his driver.

"Thanks. I, well it might seem stupid, but maybe she – maybe she'll see the car, you know?"

Heero nodded and gave Duo a one-armed hug.

"I'm sorry I sent you to Paris," Heero said after a few minutes of silence.

"Heero - I can't do this. This job. I hated those negotiations, I hated having to leave Nat. And now – _if_ I even get to see her again, I just – I can't _do_ this!" All of Duo's fears and frustrations exploded. "I don't want this life for me, or for her. I don't want to leave her once and twice a month to go on business trips just so that I can sit and argue with people I don't respect and who don't respect me. I don't want that life – I don't _want_ to sit in board meetings and I don't want to wear a fucking suit! I'm not you, and I'm not Dad. I'm not cut out for this!"

"Duo, right now you are under a lot of stress and pressure. We'll talk about this after you've got Nathalie back, okay?"

"No! Fuck that. Let's resolve this now. I quit, okay? You were right, the board was right – Wufei was right and Celia was right. I'm not a Yuy. I'm just me, and I don't belong in a boardroom!"

Heero was silent after that, and Duo felt drained after the outburst.

They arrived at Duo's home not long after, and they wordlessly got into his Prius and started to drive towards the Bronx.

Duo had just merged onto the Triboro Bridge when his phone started to ring.

"Yeah?" He answered it.

"We found her." It was Trowa's voice, and Duo had never been so glad to hear it before.

"You – where is she?"

"Here at Port Authority. With Mrs. Fontaine. The police are on their way and –"

"Is she okay?"

Trowa was silent for a moment, and Duo worried that the answer was going to be an emphatic no.

"She'll _be_ okay, Duo, and she wants you."

"I'm on my way." Duo hung up and for the first time in nearly twelve hours felt that he could breathe again.

"They found her," he said, more for his own benefit than Heero's.

"Good. Duo –"

"Heero, not now. Just – let's just not talk, okay? I meant everything I said. Yeah, I'm stressed out right now, but I was speaking the truth. I can't do this, and I don't belong."

"Of course you belong! He wanted this for both of us –"

"Right, but only one of us deserves it, right? You said it yourself the day of the reading. He wasn't my father. I don't deserve this company – and I don't even want it! So there's no point in fighting this anymore, is there?"

"Of course he was your father! He loved you! I was being an idiot, and I'm sorry. You can't just walk away from this –"

"Yeah, I can."

"So you're just going to run away? And I'm going to have to clean up your mess. Again."

"Well, you've got years of practice so it shouldn't be that hard this time, should it?" Duo shot back.

"You're a selfish idiot. You're right – you _don't_ deserve this. I just hope Nathalie doesn't care what a coward you are. Real good example you're setting for her, you know. I'm sure she –"

"Shut up! Heero, I don't give a fuck what you say. I'm not going back to that office. It killed Dad, literally _killed_ him. I'm not getting involved in this shit. I'm done."

The rest of the ride was in stony silence.

When they arrived at Port Authority Duo realized he had no idea WHERE in the terminal Nathalie was. He was saved from running around calling out her name like an idiot when he spotted Trowa, Hilde, Nathalie, a few police, and Alima Fontaine by the central service kiosk on the first floor.

"Duo!" She ran to him as soon as she spotted him, and he scooped her up into a hug.

He held her tightly, wanting to never let her go.

"She said you weren't going to come back for me," Nathalie whispered against his chest.

Duo pulled away and set her down. He looked at her face, which was tear stained but showed no bruises.

"And you believed her?" Duo asked, trying to smile.

"I – you were mad at me."

"You were mad at _me_ , kiddo. But I'm always going to come back for you, okay?"

He waited for her to nod and then he hugged her again.

"I'm sorry. I –"

"Sh. It's okay. We'll talk about it later, okay? Let's get you home, okay?"

She nodded and rubbed at her eyes.

Trowa walked over to them, a grim look on his face.

"They can't charge her with anything, since there isn't a restraining order in place – but I'm calling a judge first thing tomorrow morning. She won't be doing this again." He said that last to Nathalie, who had a death grip on Duo's hand. "The police want both of you to come by tomorrow to make a statement. Ah… the social worker will probably call you in the morning, too."

Duo nodded, filing all of the information away but not really caring. He had Nathalie back, and that was really the only thing he cared about. He looked over to the scowling face of Alima Fontaine and wondered, not for the first time, what kind of woman she was.

"We should go home," Duo said, shaking himself and looking away from her dark, hateful gaze.

"All of us?" Trowa asked.

Duo looked down at Nathalie, and then back at Trowa.

"Yeah, if you want to. It'd be nice to have you with us."

Duo waved in Heero and Hilde's general direction before the three of them started to walk back to Duo's car.

"Thank you for finding me," Nathalie said, her large eyes fixed on Trowa's face.

"Of course." Trowa smiled at her. "I'm never going to abandon a fellow Red Sox fan."

Duo groaned, but Natahlie smiled.

Nathalie was asleep in the backseat of the car almost as soon as she got in, and Duo felt more exhausted with each mile that brought him closer to home.

"Jesus Christ I never want to go through that again," he said.

"Hopefully you won't have to. You shouldn't have to. I'm calling Une tomorrow."

"Mrs. Fontaine's lawyer?"

"Yes. She's going to fix this. I don't know WHAT Mrs. Fontaine was thinking, and I don't care, but that child should never have to be in this situation again."

The vehemence in Trowa's voice was startling, but then, Duo remembered, Trowa had once been a child and had once been left unprotected and abandoned by the legal system.

"I told Heero that I quit," Duo said.

"Why?"

"Well, I was pissed as hell about all of this, and scared out of my mind. But I – I can't _do_ this."

"Sleep on it."

"What? No. I know that –"

"Duo. I'm not saying you'll change your mind, but I think you need to get a decent night's sleep – which you probably _won't_ get for a few days – and think about this."

Duo sighed.

"Okay, okay, fine. But – I'm not going in tomorrow. We've got all this crap to deal with, and I think Nathalie deserves to skip school tomorrow."

When they arrived back at the Brownstone, Duo carried Nathalie into the house and upstairs to her bedroom. He pulled off her shoes and tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and left her door open.

Sara had apparently gone on a marathon cleaning rampage, because the wood in the house was sparkling and everything smelled fresh and lemony.

"Bed?" Trowa suggested.

Duo nodded. It suddenly seemed like a supreme effort to take off his clothes, but he managed to pull them off and climbed into the bed in just his boxers.

Trowa arched an eyebrow at him.

"I'm too tired to even think about sex," Duo muttered.

Trowa smirked and methodically took off his own clothes and folded them over the back of a chair. He joined Duo in the bed, and after a moment Duo pulled him against his chest.

"Scariest day of my life," Duo said around a yawn.

"Just wait until she starts going on dates," Trowa responded.

"Shut up and go to sleep," Duo growled.

* * *

Up Next: Quatre is in town and the end is nigh!

* * *

**Chapter 18: Chapter 18**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: This story is winding down, and as it does, I'm starting work on my next fic, Umbra, which is a *gasp* 1x2 fic – with the caveat that there is still lots of Trowa in it. The first two chapters are out, and chapter three will be up soon. Check it out. Please.

**A Little Less Normal**

Chapter XVIII

It took Wufei until the next Sunday before he could bring himself to tell Duo the secrets Treize had given him.

If he had his way, the secrets would have never been told – but Duo had a right to know this, and Wufei knew enough about Treize to know that the man would find a way to use the information against Duo.

He decided to simply stop by Duo's home that afternoon. If Duo wasn't home, then he would be able to delay this yet another day. And if he was…

Wufei steeled himself for what was likely to be the worst conversation of his life, and rang the doorbell.

It was several minutes later when the door finally opened, but instead of Duo, Trowa Barton stood at the door.

The taller man frowned.

"Can I help you?"

The frost in his voice was unmistakable, and Wufei found himself scowling.

"I came to see Duo. Is he available?"

"It took you long enough," Trowa said, but he stepped away from the door and allowed Wufei to enter the house.

"Excuse me?" Wufei was confused – how did Duo already know?

"I was starting to think you weren't going to apologize to him."

"Apologize? What did I – what is _that_?" Wufei's tirade was abruptly cut off when the ugliest dog he had ever seen came barreling up to him.

Its shaggy coat was a riot of colors – black, gray, white, and tan swirls of fur that had no conceivable pattern. It had large, floppy ears and a long snout, tipped with a wet, black nose and a lolling pink tongue. It was also incredibly fat and only had three legs. The beast's long tail wagged furiously as it spotted Wufei.

" _That_ is Bella," Trowa told him, and some of the frost was gone from his voice, replaced with amusement.

"But what IS it?"

"Nat's new dog."

"But –"

"Bella! Bella do _not_ even think about going near my shoes again! The first pair of Ferragamo's was my fault but if you eat another I will kill – hey Wufei." Duo came into view, and it was clear he had been chasing after the hairy beast on the floor.

The dog instantly reversed directions and waddled over to Duo before falling over and presenting her belly. Duo rolled his eyes but obligingly crouched down and started to scratch the creature's enormous stomach.

"What brings you to Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon?" Duo asked, looking up at Wufei.

"I was hoping to speak with you – in private."

Duo frowned but shrugged.

"Er, okay. Tro, will you keep an eye on this thing? Nathalie is _finally_ doing her Spanish homework and I don't want her to get distracted again."

"Sure. We'll be out back." Trowa walked by the dog and tapped his hand against his own thigh. The dog instantly rolled to its feet and chased after him.

Wufei watched, horrified and strangely mesmerized by the dog's gait.

"Ugliest thing you've ever seen, isn't she?" Duo asked once they had left.

Wufei nodded in agreement before he could catch himself.

"What – why -?"

Duo started led Wufei into the library and closed the door behind them.

"I told Nat she could have any dog she wanted from the pound. Any dog! Does she get the baby poodle? Or the collie? Or the Dalmatian puppy? No, of course not. She picks the damn three-legged, pregnant mongrel."

"Pregnant?" At least that explained the dog's girth.

"Yeah, apparently three legs isn't much of a turn off to other dogs. I swear – that kid is e _vil_."

As much as Duo sounded upset, the look on his face was filled with pride and amusement. He shook his head.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yes. But – Trowa asked if I had finally come by to apologize. I don't understand."

Duo sighed. "Yeah, I don't quite get it either – I mean, I kind of do. Trowa – and Heero – think you, ah, well, basically they think you treated me like a whore by asking me to sleep with you so that you wouldn't be a virgin before you threw yourself at Heero."

Wufei frowned, and suddenly the last few weeks of silence from Heero, Duo, and Trowa started to make more sense.

"Is that – is that the _only_ reason why Heero hasn't spoken to me?" Wufei hadn't dared allow himself to hope that Heero returned his feelings, but after two weeks of silence from his best friend he was convinced that not only did Heero not return his feelings, but that he had no desire to even be his friend.

Duo shrugged. "Yeah, Trowa said he was pretty pissed about it. Why?"

"I – it doesn't matter. From their perspective, I can see how it might have seemed that way. But you have to know, I didn't mean it like that. I asked you because you're a friend, and I trust you."

"And because you'd heard I was a sex god, it's cool, I get it." Duo winked. "Was that all?"

"No, actually." Wufei presented Duo with the manila envelope that he had carried like a cancerous tumor these last few days.

"What's –"

"Just, read it. I don't know what else to say."

Duo frowned but opened the envelope and spilled the contents onto an antique writing desk.

Wufei watched as his friend sorted through the documents. He took note of the increasing tension in Duo's shoulders until finally Duo clenched the mass of papers in one fist.

Wufei winced, but remained silent. After a moment, Duo released the now horribly creased photographs and turned around to face him.

"Where did you get this?" Duo's voice was soft, and his face was unreadable. Wufei had never seen him like this.

"Treize Khushrenada."

Duo closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

He turned back to the papers and started to methodically rip each photograph and document into quarter sized pieces.

"What are you –"

"Who else knows?"

"No one. Well, whoever _he_ told."

" _You_ don't tell anyone." Duo turned and gave him a fierce look.

"But – but you're Celia's son! Heero is really your brother! Don't you want people to KNOW –"

"To know that my _mother_ cheated on the man I worshipped? No, no I don't want people to know. Heero _is_ my brother. I don't need this shit to know that."

Duo shoved the scraps into the envelope and crossed the room to stand in front of the fireplace.

Wufei watched as Duo pulled a long match from a box on the mantle and struck it. Duo held the lit match to the envelope until it caught fire, and then he dropped it into the empty fireplace, tossing the match after it.

"It might just be bullshit, anyway," Duo said, his gaze focused on the flames.

"It could," Wufei agreed.

Duo sighed.

"Who am I kidding? My own _mother_ didn't want me." Duo grinned, and the expression was far from carefree. "God she must have _flipped_ when Odin wanted to adopt _me_! She probably thought she'd gotten away with it and then – _BAM_!" He chuckled.

"Do you think he knew?"

"I hope not." Duo's expression turned grim. "I want your word that you won't ever tell Heero about this."

Wufei frowned. "Doesn't he have the right to know that you're his brother? By blood?"

"No. No, this kind of knowledge – this isn't good for anyone. I'll bet Treize hoped I'd make some huge fuss and demand recognition or some shit. He was probably counting on this driving a wedge between us. It's not going to happen."

Wufei sighed. He would never, if he lived a thousand years, understand the way Duo's brain worked. The man was either a saint or insane. Or both.

"I'm sorry you had to give me this," Duo said and nodded at the fire.

"I – are you going to talk to Celia about this?"

Duo shrugged.

"What am I gonna say? Should I ask her if she regrets trying to ditch me in the first place? Ask her who my father was? Maybe – maybe I should ask her if she ever even loved Odin?" Duo shook his head. "No. No, I don't want to know."

Wufei could understand that, even if he thought that Duo had every right to confront Celia.

"Uhh, what a week!" Duo scrubbed his hands over his face. "Shit – you don't even know!"

"Know what?"

"Well, Nat got kidnapped by her own mother on Monday – while Trowa and I were in Paris dealing with company shit – and we didn't find her until about one A.M. on Tuesday. So then Trowa goes all Atticus Finch, calls up that lawyer, Une, and gets her to make Mrs. Fontaine give up all rights to custody _and_ gets a restraining order on her AND we just got the word yesterday that I am officially in the process of legally adopting her."

"I – I had no idea." Wufei could only imagine the terror that Duo would have felt while Nathalie was missing. If he thought that Xu Li was in danger for even a moment, he didn't know what he would do.

"Yeah, well… I'm sorry. I should have yelled at Heero and told him to call you. I just, well, I've been a little busy with things. Oh, and I'm quitting as CEO."

"Wait – _what_? You can't quit. If you quit then Treize wins!"

Duo shrugged.

"Listen, Trowa's an amazing lawyer, Heero went to law school, and you're not stupid. The three of you can probably figure some way around Dad's will and swing it."

"But –"

"Wufei, I _can't_ do it."

"Bullshit. You've never failed at anything you actually tried to succeed in."

"Well, okay, I _can_ do it, but I won't. It's driving me insane, and I don't – I'm _not_ Odin. I'm not Heero."

Wufei couldn't believe that Duo was giving up, that he would abandon Heero and the company that Odin had built.

"I think Odin knew," Wufei said after a moment of silence.

"That I wasn't cut out for this? No shit."

"No, I think he knew that you were Celia's son."

Duo frowned.

"He would look at you, sometimes, and he would seem so – sad. Guilty. I think he _knew_ that you were Celia's, and he wished that you had been his. He was always so proud of you, you know. He and my father used to have lunch every week, and Odin would _always_ brag about you. Even after you left the company – he would sit there and tell my father that you were a man of integrity, and that if you saw a problem you wouldn't rest until you had resolved it."

Duo swallowed hard and looked away from Wufei.

"Odin never called you a coward, even when you became a math teacher instead of following in his footsteps. But then, Odin isn't looking at you now."

"Fuck you, Chang."

"That's what this is all about, anyway, isn't it? You're afraid of failing. You always have been. You never wanted to disappoint him. _that's_ why you always competed with Heero – not because you cared about beating him, but because you didn't want Odin to think that you were weak." Wufei shook his head and sneered at Duo. "You are nothing but a damned coward. You learn that you are, in fact, Celia's natural son and Heero's brother and what do you do? You run away from it – you can't even confront the truth of who you are!"

"That has nothing – you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh no? I think I do. Because _if_ you were the man Odin always thought you were, you wouldn't be hiding in this damn house. You would be out there plotting revenge against Treize and you would be making damn sure that the legacy Odin left you and your _brother_ was safe."

Duo glared at him through narrowed eyes. His jaw was clenched so tightly that Wufei could see a muscle twitch.

Wufei shook his head and walked out, not bothering to wait for a response. He stormed down the hall and slammed the front door behind him, immediately regretting showing such disrespect to the antique oak door.

Furious, he decided to walk back to his midtown apartment instead of taking a taxi.

In the several hours that it took him, he was able to cool off, and he started to regret some of his harsh words. He didn't really think Duo was behaving cowardly, and perhaps he was even being noble in regards to not confronting Celia or telling Heero that they were related, but he _couldn't_ forgive Duo for walking out on Odin's dream and abandoning Heero.

When he finally arrived home, he tried to call Meilin. Hearing about Nathalie's abduction made him desperate to talk to his own daughter.

"Hello?" Meilin's voice was husky with sleep when she finally answered the phone.

"It's Wufei."

"What – what do you want?"

"I'd like to speak with Xu Li."

"It's midnight, Wufei, she's asleep."

Wufei cursed himself for not thinking.

"Is she – is she okay?"

"Of course she is." There was a pause. "Are you?" Meilin's voice was uncharacteristically soft.

Wufei sighed. "I'd like to see her."

"Try video chatting with her tomorrow when she gets home from school."

"No, I want to s _ee_ her. I want to hold her. I want to smell her hair and – please, Meilin, let me see my daughter."

There was a long, painful silence.

"Wufei, we've talked about this. It's best for Xu Li if she has a stable –"

"This is bullshit, Meilin! She's my daughter!"

"And I'm her mother and we decided, with a lawyer, that I would retain full custody. Do you _really_ want to put her through a custody battle again? Do you _really_ think that would be best for her?"

"I think having a father would be best for her."

"Well, she's going to have one."

"Wh – _what_?"

Meilin sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you like this. Demetrio proposed and I've accepted. We're getting married in September."

Wufei was speechless.

"Wufei? Say something."

"I wish you every happiness." He felt numb, cold and hot at the same time, and his vision started to blur.

"Thank you. Listen, call at a decent time tomorrow and you can speak with her, alright? Wufei?"

"I have to go."

He hung up the phone and sank down onto the floor.

Wufei had never entertained fantasies of he and Meilin reconciling. In fact, he often had nightmares that they were still married. But he had always hoped he would be given the chance to be a father to his only child. Now – now Meilin was marrying some damned Portuguese fisherman and he would _never_ have the chance to be part of his daughter's life.

It was several hours before he could move. He rose from the floor and took out the bottle of vodka he kept in his freezer for those rare occasions when Heero came over for a drink.

He was amazed at how quickly he emptied the full bottle, and disappointed that he didn't have anything else to drink. The vodka had done surprisingly little to dull the pain in his chest.

* * *

On Tuesday he had lunch with his father, and Wufei managed to pull himself together enough to get out of bed and make himself presentable. Henry Chang had had enough disappointments in his life, and he did not need yet _another_ reminder of just how disappointing his only son was.

Wufei arrived almost on time, and his father glared at him over the fold of the Wall Street Journal.

"If you were someone else I would have thought you were busy with work, or family, but since you are my son, I know that you have nothing to occupy your time. Not since you lost your job and your wife left you."

Wufei refused to show any emotion at those barbs. His father had always been harsh, but ever since his heart attack he had grown even more so. It seemed that his brush with death had given him more reason to be angry with the world, and Wufei had become his favorite target.

"I'm sorry, father."

Henry sneered, but offered no further comment. The meal passed quickly in a tense silence, and as soon as it was possible for him to leave, Wufei excused himself.

"Don't bother coming next week," Henry told him.

"What – no, I won't be late again."

"I can't stand looking at you anymore. You are so weak and spineless. I don't want yet another reminder of just how little I've accomplished in my life."

Wufei managed to keep his back straight as he turned and walked out.

Once again, he found himself trying to walk off his fury.

He was halfway home when his cell phone rang. He immediately recognized the ringtone as being the one he had programmed for Heero.

Cautiously, he answered the phone.

"This is Wufei."

"I'm an asshole."

Wufei frowned. That was not _quite_ the opening he had anticipated.

"I'm… I'm not prepared to argue that point against you."

Heero chuckled and Wufei relaxed at the rich sound. He couldn't believe how much he had missed his voice.

"No argument necessary. Duo assures me that I am. So are you – and Trowa, for that matter."

"I don't understand."

"Does anyone e _ver_ understand Duo? He came in the office yesterday morning and called me an asshole. He said – and I think I memorized it correctly – 'You're an idiot and an asshole, Heero. If you want to have sex with that other asshole, I don't care because you are both assholes and you deserve each other.'"

Wufei choked on a laugh. That sounded exactly like Duo. Except –

"You said he came in to work? I thought he quit?"

"I thought so too, but he came in yesterday, and again today. He's, ah, well he's been a living nightmare with the board, but he's actually making them listen to him. This morning even Relena agreed with him."

Wufei was so shocked he had to stop walking.

"When I talked to him on Sunday he swore he was done."

"Apparently whatever you said to him changed his mind."

As arrogant as it was, Wufei was actually impressed with himself.

He knew it was incredibly childish, but he spun around and flipped the bird in the general direction of his father's apartment.

"I'm glad I could help."

"And I'm sorry I haven't talked to you these past two weeks. I –"

"We don't have to do this."

"Do what?"

"You don't have to apologize to me, and I'm not going to apologize to you. What happened between Duo and I involved only the two of us. I… can understand you wanting to protect your brother, but it didn't involve you. So, let's forget it ever happened and move on."

There was a long pause on the line, and Wufei was concerned that he had upset Heero again.

"That sounds fair," Heero said at last.

"Good." And because Wufei was a bit of a masochist, he added, "so Duo gave you permission to have sex with me?"

"It's not his permission I've been waiting for," Heero growled.

Heat spread through Wufei at his tone.

"Then who?"

"Yours, you idiot. Do you have any - I'm not having this conversation on the phone with you."

Wufei frowned. "Why not? We haven't talked in two weeks and I'd rather resolve this now, before –"

"I'm not having this conversation with you on the phone because I want to be looking at you when I tell you that I've wanted to fuck you since we were fifteen."

The heat became a fully fledged fire.

"Maybe you could tell me again tonight? We could have dinner at –"

"Damnit. I forgot. Quatre Winner is in town and he invited us to dinner tonight."

"Us?"

"Trowa, Duo, you, and me."

"Me? He remembered me?"

"Apparently." Heero sighed. "Will you come? We can talk after – or, not, if you would prefer."

"No, we are definitely talking after. I think we've both waited long enough for this conversation."

Heero chuckled, and the rich sound practically vibrated with tension.

"I'll be looking forward to it, then. We're meeting at Per Se at eight."

"I'll see you then."

Wufei hung up the phone and felt better than he had in weeks. The dark depression that had been eating at him started to recede, but it was still there, and he forced himself to think positively. He refused to let himself wallow in misery when he had the chance – right in front of him – to attain happiness.

* * *

Wufei hadn't been to Per Se since it's opening, when he, Heero, and Duo had been invited to the exclusive event. He had enjoyed the food immensely, but he didn't eat out much on his own, and after Heero had left for Macau, he and Duo had drifted apart.

He had never taken so long to decide on what to wear for a dinner with friends before, but the chance that this evening would extend well past the actual dinner had him questioning his choices. Eventually, he settled on a black suit, tie, and white dress shirt. As an afterthought, he left his hair down.

Duo might give him hell for being boring, but Wufei _liked_ the traditional, formal look and Heero had once mentioned to him that he looked incredible with his hair down. It had been a throwaway comment – but the words had given Wufei hope, and he had remembered them.

He was the last to arrive at the restaurant, and the others were already seated in the private dining room near the back of the restaurant. The hostess led him in, and conversation immediately stopped when he walked in the door.

Duo was staring at him with his mouth open, Trowa had a speculative look in his eyes, and Heero was staring at him with enough heat in his gaze to light a fire. Quatre, however, was jumping out of his seat and rushing around the table to wrap Wufei in a tight hug.

He stiffened at the unexpected contact.

"Wufei! It's so good to see you again! It's been ages!" Quatre finally released him, and Wufei stepped back.

The blonde man was very similar to the boy he had once known, but he had grown taller and broader, and his face had developed strong, clean lines. His bright blue eyes shone with genuine happiness, and Wufei found himself responding to the affection.

"It's good to see you again as well," he said.

Quatre grinned and gestured him towards round table the others already sat at.

Duo was sitting between Trowa and Quatre, with Heero on Trowa's other side. Wufei took the remaining empty seat between Quatre and Heero.

"You look good," Heero said in an undertone as he sat down.

Wufei felt himself flush at the compliment.

"So do you."

And he did. Heero was wearing the black dress shirt and trousers that Wufei knew he reserved for dates he planned to take home. That knowledge left Wufei on edge, as he realized that yes, Heero WAS attracted to him, and had every intention of proving it.

"Quatre was just about to tell us how he met his fiancée Princess, I'm sorry, how do you say her name again?" Duo was grinning, but there was a sharp edge to the expression.

Beside him, Trowa rolled his eyes.

"Rashidah," Quatre said.

"Right, Rashidah. Anyway, do tell." Duo propped his chin on his hand and leaned forward.

Quatre grinned, either oblivious to Duo's sarcasm or just accepting him at face value.

"It's actually a funny story. I was on a business trip to Riyadh, and I stopped at my favorite coffee shop for an afternoon snack. I was waiting in line when I heard this commotion outside and so I looked – and there was a protest. A bunch of women were _pushing_ a car down the street. They had taped a sign to the windshield that said 'let us drive.' Anyway, there were only about ten of them, and it was taking them a while to get the car down the street. I watched them for a few minutes, until the police were called. You could hear the sirens before you saw them – and the women started to panic. They started to run away, but one of them – her burka was caught under the tire of the car. All of the other women ran, and so she was by herself, trying to get free. I just had to help her – so I ran out there and together we managed to get her free, but by then the police were there. They tried to arrest her, but I told them that it was _my_ car. That it was _my_ protest. I was demanding the right for _foreigners_ to drive. They didn't really believe me, so she spoke up and said that if they didn't believe me, they should believer _her_ , since she was Princess Rashidah. And of course they fell all over themselves to apologize to her, and asked if I was bothering her, and should they arrest me." Quatre chuckled. "After that – I knew she was the one."

Wufei looked around at his companions. Heero's forehead was creased in a slight frown, and Trowa's face was neutral.

Duo leaned back in his chair.

"Huh. Well… that's some meet cute you've got there."

"Meet cute?" Wufei repeated the unfamiliar phrase.

"Yes – it's like in the movies, when two people meet for the first time in a funny circumstance. It's the beginning to all great love stories." Quatre explained.

Wufei rolled his eyes. _Now_ he remembered Quatre. He was the dreamy kid who was constantly bullied and accused of being gay. He frowned as a memory tugged at him.

"It's not as good as Trowa's story, though," Quatre added.

That drew Wufei's attention away from his memories.

"My story?" Trowa echoed.

"Of when you two met?" Duo asked, a scowl on his face.

"No, no, of when he met his new boyfriend. I can't believe he hasn't told you! It's such a good story."

Duo went pale and shot a nervous glance towards Heero.

"Why don't you tell us how YOU met Trowa?" Duo suggested. "I'm sure that's a better story."

"No, no. Trowa can I tell it?"

The auburn haired man shrugged.

Quatre smiled widely.

"Great. So Trowa was on his way to interview with Heero, and someone bumped into him, spilling his coffee all over his suit. His really hot coffee – so not only is Trowa drenched, but he's actually injured."

"I wasn't that injured," Trowa protested.

"You told me you had third degree burns all over your chest."

"I was exaggerating."

" _Anyway_. Trowa stoically hides his pain. But this stranger, aside from being clumsy, was actually pretty charming. He insisted on buying Trowa a new suit, and then he said he wouldn't return the old one until Trowa agreed to have dinner with him that night."

"Sounds like a rich asshole who needs to learn how to walk," Wufei muttered. Duo glared at him.

"That's what _I_ thought, too," Trowa said. Duo turned to glare at him as well.

"You did not! You texted me the next day and told me that you had finally met someone who could make you laugh _and_ make you think."

"Really?" Duo asked, sounding and looking a little surprised.

Heero was silent, and his face was hard to read.

"So, was it happily ever after?" Wufei asked, just to make Duo squirm. The look Duo gave him could have frozen the sun.

"I don't know, Trowa never even told me what his name was. Are you still together?"

All eyes turned to Trowa.

"Oh – look – the food has arrived!" Duo said loudly. Wufei turned to see a line of waiters bringing in several plates.

They were well into the first course when anyone spoke up again.

"Duo, I'm not a complete idiot," Heero finally said.

Trowa's lips twitched, and even Wufei had to chuckle at the look of relief on Duo's face.

"So… you aren't going to break my nose again, right?" Duo clarified.

Heero rolled his eyes.

"Not tonight, no."

"I don't understand." Quatre was frowning, clearly unhappy to be out of the loop.

"It's me – I'm the one that Trowa's dating."

"Oh – oh." Quatre sounded surprised and he looked even more confused now. "I never would have pictured you two together."

Now it was Trowa's turn to frown.

"Why?"

"Well – I just," Quatre shrugged and then smiled. "I'm just happy that you're happy."

Wufei winced at just how lame that sounded.

"I am," Trowa assured him.

"Good, good." Quatre's smile seemed a little forced, however.

"Anyway," Duo said loudly, "how's business going for you these days, Quatre?"

Quatre shrugged elegantly.

"Fairly well, actually. The global economy is struggling, which provides plenty of opportunity for my company to invest in markets that might not otherwise be open to us. And you – Heero and Duo? How is Yuy Inc. prospering? I remember when I first took over Winner Enterprises, it was a real struggle." Quatre smiled at Trowa. "But I had Trowa to help me."

"We do too," Duo pointed out.

"The company is…slowly adjusting," Heero said.

Wufei rolled his eyes at just how guarded his friend sounded. He had serious doubts that Quatre Winner was interested in, or even capable of, corporate espionage. Duo apparently shared his thoughts.

"What he means is that things would be _great_ if it wasn't for Treize Khushrenada trying to destroy us."

Heero scowled at his brother, but Duo just rolled his eyes.

"You really think that Quatre Winner is spying on our company?" He demanded.

"Wait, I'm sorry, did you say Treize Khushrenada?"

All eyes turned to Quatre.

"Yeah, do you know him?" Duo asked.

"Know him? Of course I know him. He tried to embezzle funds from Qatar."

"He – do you mean the country?" Duo asked.

"Yes – he tried to implicate my father in it, this was years ago… maybe four years ago now. There's still a warrant out for his arrest, in fact. I suppose he's been smart enough to avoid returning to the Middle East, because there are a number of people who would happily turn him over to the authorities."

"Really?" Duo leaned back and looked contemplative.

"We are _not_ kidnapping Treize and delivering him to them," Heero said harshly.

"Why not? He deserves it – and he'd be out of our hair, _and_ justice would be served."

"He would spend years rotting in prison, maybe the rest of his life, before ever getting a trial."

"I'm waiting for the part where this isn't a good plan…" Duo looked over to Wufei. "Back me up here – the man almost killed your father."

Wufei frowned. For some reason, the idea did not appeal to him.

"I agree that a certain level of justice would be served, but… I do not want to merely push him off onto someone else. I think that _we_ can assure he pays for his crimes without resorting to such means."

Duo groaned when Heero nodded in agreement.

"There's still the fact that several open, criminal investigations name him," Quatre pointed out. "If you don't like the idea of Qatar justice, why not see that he is tried for his crimes _here_?"

Wufei watched the others think it over.

"It's a good idea," Heero finally said. He looked over at Wufei. "What do you think?"

"I like it," Wufei agreed. Heero smirked and turned back to Quatre.

"I would appreciate any information you have on these investigations," he told the blonde man.

"Of course! I'd be happy to help."

" 'Preciate it," Duo said, and saluted Quatre with his water glass.

As he set it down, he put one arm across the back of Trowa's chair. Quatre frowned, but Wufei was relieved to note that Heero merely looked amused. Trowa looked as though he were trying to ignore it.

"How is your mother?" Quatre asked and turned to Heero.

"She's great," Duo replied before Heero could. He grinned widely at Quatre when the blonde started to scowl. "How are your sisters?"

"They are doing well, thank you for asking."

An awkward, silent tension fell over the group for the remainder of the meal. Wufei had no idea what was going on, but it was clear that Duo and Quatre did NOT like each other.

They were halfway through dessert when Duo suddenly threw down his fork and sat up straight.

"Just say it," he directed his words at Quatre.

"I'm sorry? I don't know – "

"Oh come on, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Just come out and say it. You don't think I'm good enough for your old _buddy_ Trowa here, do you?"

Quatre went completely still and before deliberately setting down his own fork.

"No, I don't," he agreed after a moment.

The evening was certainly taking an unexpected turn. Wufei had planned on a quick meal and then making his excuses as fast as possible and escaping with Heero, now, however, it looked as though the night would never end.

"Why not?"

"I just – I never expected he would be interested in someone like you."

Duo nodded. "Which means what, exactly?"

Wufei wondered why Trowa or even Heero didn't try to interrupt, but perhaps, like him, they were simply too stunned to react.

"You aren't – you aren't serious enough for him."

"I'm not – serious? What does that even _mean_?"

"I remember you from school, Duo. I know what you're like. You were never involved with anyone for more than a few weeks before –"

"Yeah, well, I remember _you_ from school, too." The quiet words caused Quatre to flush red. "And just because _you_ didn't grow up, doesn't mean the rest of us didn't. And maybe I'm not serious enough – whatever the fuck that means – but at least I respect Trowa."

"I respect –"

"Bullshit. If you respected him, then you wouldn't off some lame 'I'm happy you're happy' crap. You would accept that he _is_ happy – happy without _you_. If you really respected him, then you never would have dumped him in –"

"Duo, stop." Trowa's voice was quiet, but insistent.

For a moment it looked as though Duo would ignore him, but then Duo shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

"Quatre, I _am_ happy with Duo. As my… _friend_ , you should accept that, and you should understand how much that means to me."

Wufei had absolutely NO idea what any of them were talking about, and he made a mental note to ask Duo later. Well, if Duo ever planned on speaking to him again.

"Well, I hate to cut the evening short, but I have a few things to finish up at the office – and Trowa, you said you would look over something for me." Heero jumped in after an awkward moment of silence.

Wufei frowned, as did Duo.

"Oh, well – thank you for taking the time to catch up," Quatre said, a tremulous smile on his face. Duo rolled his eyes, but was thankfully quiet as everyone rose and shook hands with Quatre. "As soon as I can I will send you whatever information I have on Treize. I wish you luck." His gaze was focused solely on Heero when he said the words.

Wufei felt a slight pang of guilt as the four of them left Quatre alone, but it was dwarfed by the irritation he felt. Tonight, of all nights, Heero honestly expected to go back to the office and WORK!

As soon as they were outside, he turned to Heero, prepared to launch into a tirade.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Heero asked, directing the question to Trowa and Duo.

Duo looked just as confused as Wufei felt, but Trowa smirked and nodded.

"Have a good night," Trowa said, his gaze sliding from Heero over to Wufei.

"I will," Heero assured him.

"Er, yeah…" Duo shook his head and turned to walk in the other direction. Trowa fell into step beside him, and a moment later they disappeared around a corner. Leaving Heero and Wufei.

"You lied!" Wufei hissed.

Heero smirked.

"I had no intention of sitting there any longer and listen to Quatre and Duo make fools of themselves over Trowa."

"But –so, you don't care that Duo and Trowa are together?"

Heero's eyes narrowed.

"I care that they didn't tell me, but even then… I can understand why they didn't."

Wufei nodded, feeling relieved that Heero wasn't jealous.

"Besides, why would I care about Trowa when the man I've wanted for most of my life turns out to be interested in me?" Heero was smirking now, and there was a predatory look in his eyes.

"You mentioned wanting to have a conversation about that," Wufei said, trying to sound casual.

"By conversation, I really meant stripping you bare and finally getting to taste every inch of your body," Heero pointed out.

Wufei looked around, aroused but alarmed that someone might hear them.

"Should we…"

"My apartment's closer," Heero said.

Wufei nodded.

"Closer sounds good."

Heero waved down a cab, his blue gaze locked with Wufei's the entire time he waited.

Wufei had never been subjected to Heero's open admiration, and he found himself filled with anticipation. If this was how it felt when Heero _looked_ at him, he was confident he was going to enjoy it when Heero actually touched him.

The cab ride felt like the longest ten minutes of Wufei's life. He could feel the heat and hardness of Heero's body against his as their shoulders, arms, and thighs pressed against each other.

Heero's hand wandered over to his knee and started to rub rhythmic circles. The sensation actually made Wufei shiver.

When they arrived at the apartment, it was practically a race to get inside and into the elevator. As soon as Heero pressed the button for his floor and the doors closed, he advanced on Wufei and kissed him.

He hadn't expected it, and he jumped back before catching himself and pushing forward, resulting in their teeth knocking together and Wufei ducked aside. He winced in pain and embarrassment.

"Let's try that again," Heero suggested.

This time, Wufei met his lips eagerly, and the sensation was unlike any he had ever before experienced.

It ended all too soon when the elevators doors opened.

Heero stepped back, and while he looked smug, he also looked slightly dazed, as though he too hadn't expected the simple, almost platonic kiss to be so intense.

Wufei smirked and walked past him out of the elevator.

As soon as Heero had closed the door behind them, all pretense evaporated, and their hands were everywhere as they explored each other.

For nearly twenty years, Wufei and Heero had seen each other's naked bodies when they changed at the gym, but this was the first time Wufei had ever been able to touch the golden skin he had long admired, and he was amazed by the way Heero's taunt skin stretched over his muscles.

Once naked, they stepped back and looked at each other, as though really seeing the other for the first time.

"You are incredibly beautiful," Heero told him. "I never thought I would have the chance to touch you, to taste you."

"And yet you're still just talking about it," Wufei teased him.

Heero chuckled and closed the space between them.

"It won't happen again," Heero assured him.

"Good."

* * *

Up next: Treize FINALLY gets what he deserves!

And if you were really, really wanting a lemon there at the end, I apologize. For some reason I struggle to write Wufei and make him not seem like… a girl, basically. So, dear reader, I will let you fill in the rest of the night for yourselves.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Chapter 19**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: This story is winding down, and as it does, I'm starting work on my next fic, Umbra which is a *gasp* 1x2 fic – with the caveat that there is still lots of Trowa in it. The first four chapters are out, and chapter five will be up soon. Check it out! If you want to.

**A Little Less Normal**

Chapter XIX

It was two weeks after the disastrous dinner with Quatre before the blonde emailed his information on Treize to Trowa.

It was a Friday evening, and Duo, Trowa, and Heero were leaving the office to prepare for Relena's birthday party later that evening.

Duo insisted that they stay to at least glance through the extensive files.

"We can be fashionably late," he told the other two. Trowa smirked at that, and Heero shook his head, but the three men crowded around Heero's desk and looked at his computer.

"Wow. Treize has been a _very_ bad boy," Duo said after they had skimmed through most of the documents. It seemed that not only was Treize involved in attempts to blackmail members of the Saudi royal family, and was also implicated in a number of smuggling activities around the Red Sea.

"We can use this," Heero said with confidence as he shut down his computer and rose from behind his desk.

"It will be difficult to get any of this admitted to a US court," Trowa argued. "But – but if we can bring him up on any charges relating specifically to _this_ company, we could probably introduce this as character evidence."

"Hn." Heero looked thoughtful for a moment, but then he shook his head. "I just wish I knew why Mother gave him her shares in the first place." Heero checked his watch. "We need to go or we are going to be _much_ later than fashionably."

They split ways outside the office building, with Heero going back to his apartment and Trowa going home with Duo. Trowa was spending at least three nights a week at Duo's house, and when he had come over last night he had brought his tuxedo in preparation for Relena's birthday party tonight.

Duo had gleefully informed Relena just a few days ago that he was bringing Trowa as his date, and that he was confident that Heero would be bringing Wufei. The look of disappointment on her face had brightened Duo's day considerably, and made the hours he spent on the phone in his office almost bearable.

Unlike his brother, Duo had always enjoyed formal events, and as much as he didn't care for Relena, she always threw the best parties. This year, the year of her twenty-eighth birthday, was shaping up to be one of the best yet. Duo had no idea HOW she had managed it, but someone Relena had managed to get the Brooklyn Bridge closed for four hours that night so she could actually have her birthday party _on_ the bridge.

"Gotta give her points for style," he mused as he tied his bowtie. He had chosen a very traditional black tux, but he had paired it with a royal blue vest and bowtie.

Trowa was scowling as he struggled with his own bowtie, and Duo took pity on him and tied it.

"I hate wearing a tux," Trowa complained.

"Too bad, you look incredible." Duo leaned in for a kiss when he finished the bow.

"Then why don't we just stay here – I promise to wear it all night just for you."

Duo chuckled. "Nah, I want to show you off." He winked at Trowa.

Nathalie was downstairs watching TV, Bella curled up beside her on the couch, but she looked up as they came down.

"Wow. You look like princes or something."

Duo smirked.

"And in a few years, when you start getting dragged to these things, _you_ are going to look just like a princess."

"Wait, does that mean I have to wear a poofy dress?" Her face twisted into a sneer of disgust.

"Doesn't have to be poofy," Duo assured her. He leaned down and impulsively kissed her forehead. "Don't stay up too late – and listen to Sara. I'll see you in the morning."

She looked a little dazed by his kiss, but then she smiled and turned back to continue watching tv.

"Night," she called to them as they left.

When they arrived at the Brooklyn Bridge, there were already several hundred people milling around, all in formal wear. It was an odd contrast to the setting, made even more odd by the raised platform and the band playing on the stage. Automated lighting instruments were sweeping saturated light over the crowd and the band.

"This is ridiculous," Trowa muttered as they got out of the cab and walked towards the mass of people.

"No kidding. Classic Relena, though. But hey – this is good. There are so many people here that we only need to say hi to her once and then we can just blend in."

As they made their way into the crowd, the band started to play and Duo turned as he recognized the song.

"Please tell me that she didn't get Mumford and Sons to play at her birthday party," Trowa said.

"Ah… I _could_ lie to you, if you want me to," Duo said with a chuckle. Trowa shook his head, but before he could offer another comment, Duo wrapped his arms around the other man and swung him around into the crowd of dancers.

After a moment, Trowa's arms came up to hold Duo.

"This is the world we live in, you know," he said as they danced.

"I know – it's just – not _normal_ to have a birthday party on the Brooklyn Bridge with Mumford and Sons playing happy birthday!"

"Well, they haven't done that song yet," Duo pointed out with a cheeky grin.

Trowa rolled his eyes.

"I know – but the fact that they _will_ is just…"

"Soul crushing," Duo supplied. He liked the band, and he wasn't really looking forward to the idea of them singing Happy Birthday to the most spoiled girl he had ever met.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it."

Duo laughed, and was about to say something, but he spotted Heero and Wufei getting out of a cab. They looked just as uncomfortable as Trowa was, and Duo knew that the three of them were no doubt plotting the quickest escape they could manage.

"Heero's here," he said to Trowa, and nodded towards his brother.

They walked over to meet them, and Duo couldn't help but notice how clear it was that his brother was sleeping with the Chinese man. There was a certain way that they looked at each other, and even the distance between them – he wondered if he and Trowa were as obviously a couple.

"Hey guys," Duo greeted them.

"This is ridiculous," Wufei muttered as a greeting. Duo noticed that his hair was down, and he wondered how much Heero had to do with that.

"That's what I said," Trowa agreed.

"It's Relena Darlian!" Duo pointed out. "This is the girl who had Disney World shut down for her twelfth birthday party so that _she_ , by herself, could experience the entire park without having to wait in line."

Heero shook his head.

"She should have grown up by now."

"I think it's a pretty cool idea," Duo argued. "Great band – great location –"

"Too many people," Wufei cut in.

Duo was about to continue in his defense of Relena, but he saw Celia and Thomas Darlian out of the corner of his eye. They were removed from the crowd, leaning against one of the railways to the side of the bridge, and they seemed to be engaged in a very serious conversation.

He had avoided his mother for the past two weeks, unable to speak to her or even _look_ at her after learning that she had given him up for adoption. He simply didn't know what to say to her, and he couldn't shake the sense of loss and anger he felt whenever he thought about it.

Wufei followed his gaze and then gave him a sympathetic look.

"I think the bar's over there," Heero said, nodding across the crowd to the other side of the bridge.

"You guys go ahead – I'll catch up," Duo told them. He figured that now might be as good a time as any to confront Celia. If the conversation got out of hand, they could simply go back to the party.

As they walked past him, Wufei squeezed his shoulder, earning a curious look from Trowa. Duo rolled his eyes to indicate it was nothing, and Trowa followed Heero and Wufei towards the bar.

Duo drew in a deep breath and steeled himself for what would no doubt be a VERY unpleasant conversation.

He walked over to them, and as he neared he noticed just how close they were standing to each other. Darlian was actually holding Celia's hand on the railing, and their heads were almost touching as they spoke.

A sudden, horrible thought occurred to Duo just as Darlian looked up and noticed him approaching. The older man frowned and released Celia's hand. He said something more to her, and then left her alone to rejoin the crowd of guests.

His mouth seemed to be moving before his brain, and the question was out before Duo could censure himself.

"Please tell me that Thomas Darlian is not my father."

Celia spun around at the sound of his voice, and her face was a mask of fear.

"Oh – oh Duo." She managed to compose herself quickly, but the lack of a denial confirmed it for him. He did, however, appreciate that she didn't try to pretend that she didn't know what he was talking about.

"You cheated on Dad with his _best friend_?" He demanded, all anger at his own abandonment forgotten.

"Duo – darling, you don't understand."

"Oh? Then please, _please, Mother_ , enlighten me."

She drew in a deep breath and looked on the verge of walking away from him, but then she squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"Odin was a wonderful man, and an amazing father to both you and Heero, but he was… not the love of my life. After Heero was born – his heir – it became obvious that Odin and I weren't suited to each other, in a physical sense. I was relieved, because, well, I had always been in love with Thomas. We grew up together. And, after Heero… we weren't very careful."

Duo closed his eyes. "So I'm an accidental bastard."

"Stop it, Duo." Her usual strength was in the command, and he found himself reacting almost against his will. She glared at him, but then continued. "I gave you up for adoption because we had no choice."

"No – no _choice_? You could have kept me, you could have –"

"The scandal would have ruined Thomas' chance for his campaign. He was running for re-election to the State Assembly, and it was very important that he maintain his wholesome image."

"Wait, wait. You didn't want the scandal to ruin _his_ life? What about Dad?"

"Your father… hardly even noticed me. I didn't start to really show until I was six months pregnant, and so I took an extended vacation to Hawaii. You were born premature, and in two months I came home."

"Good as new," Duo muttered. He couldn't believe the lack of regret in her voice, or how easy it was for her to explain the circumstance of his birth.

"Duo, this is ridiculous. I cannot change the past, and nor do I regret my actions. I did what was necessary, at the time. And in the end, you came back to me." Her expression softened. "I have always loved you."

"Just not enough for it to matter." Duo let out a sigh. "Did he know – did Dad know?"

She frowned. "At first, I didn't think so. I thought it was all just some ridiculous coincidence, but when you were fifteen – that stupid stunt you pulled at the Louvre – we were discussing a divorce at the time, and he told me that he knew that you were my son, that he had known all along."

Duo winced, imaging the conversation.

"Did he know about Darlian?"

"No. No one knows about Thomas. Duo, I love him. I always have. Life has just kept us from being together."

Duo looked over to where Darlian stood with his wife, Relena's mother. Relena.

"Oh God. I'm Relena's brother." He groaned at the sudden realization.

"Darling –"

"How can you just stand there and be so calm? I found out that I'm the biological son of my adopted mother, that my mother CHEATED on the man I worshipped as a father, and with my father's best friend. A man who, I have to point out, has always hated me!"

"That isn't true! Thomas –"

" _Thomas_ has _never_ said anything to nice to me. _Ever_."

"It's been hard for him, seeing you raised by another man. He always wanted a son, and –"

"And he got one!" Duo shook his head, willing himself to calm down. "Just, please, tell me that you giving Treize your stock shares has nothing to do with this."

The crestfallen look on her face was all the answer he needed.

"Would it have mattered that much? If he told the world that I was your son?"

"People would have asked who your father was! I couldn't ruin Thomas' life like that!"

The words completely froze Duo's brain, but it was jump started again when he heard a sharp intake of breath behind him. He turned to see who had overheard them, and it was the birthday girl herself, Relena Darlian.

"What – are you –" Relena's blue eyes were wide as she looked between Duo and Celia, and then she spun on her four inch heels and started to sprint away, past her guests, and down the abandoned bridge.

"God damnit," Duo muttered, and took off after her without another word to his mother.

As much as he did _not_ like Relena Darlian, it _was_ her birthday party, and she had just overheard a very nasty secret.

It didn't take him long to catch up with her, but by the time he had she had fallen down to the ground and was leaning against the side railings of the bridge. She seemed to be hyperventilating.

Duo crouched down beside her.

"Relena, calm down, just – breathe deeply. Count to ten or something." He gripped her face and made her look up at him. "Calm down," he repeated, holding her gaze.

She took a few more gulping breaths before she managed to start breathing normally.

"I'm okay now," she eventually said, and he released her and, after an awkward moment, decided to sit down beside her.

"I don't know what to say," Duo said after a few moments of tense silence.

"You _could_ say that it's an elaborate joke. That you planned this whole thing, and that I'm not, in fact, your _sister_ , and that my father didn't actually cheat on my mother."

Duo winced. He hadn't even considered that. He had worshipped Odin, and the knowledge that his mother had cheated on his father was almost as devastating as the knowledge that she had given him up for adoption in the first place. His parents and Relena's parents were among the only undivorced adults that they knew.

"I wish I could." He leaned his head back and looked up at the night sky. "Fuck, I wish I could."

"How – I'm assuming you only learned about this recently."

"Two weeks ago I learned that I was my mother's son – that sounds so stupid. I didn't figure out about your father until tonight."

"Our father," she corrected him in a bitter voice.

"Yeah, I guess so." Duo was still having trouble coming to terms with that. He could remember so many times when Darlian had sneered at him to grow up and be more like Heero – some of his earliest memories were, in fact, of Darlian visiting the Yuy house and telling Odin and Celia that they shouldn't coddle him so much, that they should make him get his 'ridiculous' hair cut. He frowned at the memory.

"I – oh God I almost slept with you!"

That made Duo laugh. Relena's sixteenth birthday had been an exercise in binge drinking, and Duo had been almost as drunk as Relena when she propositioned him. Looking back, he was never so thankful that he had turned down his one chance to sleep with a girl.

"Yeah, well, this probably explains why I hate you so much."

She glared at him and he shrugged.

"I'm just saying – isn't it natural for brothers to hate their little sisters?"

"I have a big brother," she repeated dully. "Duo Maxwell is my big brother."

"It's not the end of the world," he told her. "I mean, _you_ get me as a relative, but I have to deal with the knowledge that _you_ are my sister!"

She punched him.

"I," she frowned. "I didn't even think about this. Celia gave you up for adoption and then –"

"Yeah, well, I guess Odin tracked me down and decided to adopt me. He knew all along."

"But why would she do that?"

"Well, you know Mother is a Catholic. She _said_ I was an accident. I'm guessing she didn't want to risk hell anymore than she already was with her adultery, and couldn't bring herself to have an abortion."

"Don't say that! She chose to give you a life."

"Yeah, well, don't go taking her side. The only reason she's kept this a secret all these years is because she's in love with your father and she didn't want to ruin his life."

Relena frowned.

"I just don't get it. Father and Mother have _always_ been close – I've never even seen them fight."

Duo shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you… Happy Birthday?"

She scowled at him.

"I hate you," she muttered, but then she sighed. "I suppose this explains Treize convincing her to give him control of her stock. He blackmailed her, I'm guessing."

"Yeah – but not about your Dad. No one knows about him. Well, just her, and him, and us now, I guess. And no one else knows about _me_ for that matter."

"You haven't told Heero? Or Trowa? Aren't you dating him?"

That answered Duo's question about whether or not he was maintaining a professional distance from his boyfriend at work.

"I am, and no. I – I don't want Heero to know about Mom. I wish _you_ didn't know."

"Oh, because you're the only one who deserves to know the truth."

"No, because I don't want anyone else to have their illusions about their parents shattered."

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"I should go back to my party," Relena said eventually.

"Great band, by the way," Duo said as stood and helped her up.

"Thanks. I opened your present. It was completely tasteless and embarrassing."

Duo smirked. He had purchased a Chippendales calendar and then pasted Heero's face over each of the models before wrapping it up and sending it to her.

"Completely appropriate coming from your big brother," he assured her.

She rolled her eyes and stopped walking as she noticed Heero, Wufei, and Trowa talking off to one side of the bar. Each man had a drink in hand, and it seemed to have relaxed them enough that they were joking.

Heero laughed at something Wufei said, and Relena sighed.

"Relena, you do realize that Heero is gay – dyed in the wool gay."

"I know. I just – I've loved him since he first pushed my swing for me on the playground, when I was three."

"I think twenty-five years is long enough to have a crush on someone. You should move on."

"He seems different. I noticed it a few days ago. He's more relaxed, happier even, than I've seen him in years."

Duo winced.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that steady sex has something to do with that."

Relena looked at him, and then back at Heero.

"What – no! He and Wufei? I didn't know Wufei was gay!"

"Fraid so."

"Then I definitely don't have a chance. Heero's been in love with him almost as long as I've been in love with Heero." She sighed. "He's happy?"

"Seems that way."

She drew herself up.

"Well, in that case, this is me letting him go." Duo followed her as she marched up to Heero, who was mid sentence, and wrapped her hands around his head and pulled his face to hers for a very long kiss. When she finally released him, she smirked and looked at Wufei.

"Take good care of him," she told the shocked Chinese man.

Duo couldn't help but laugh at the looks on Heero and Wufei's faces as Relena tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked away to mingle with her guests.

"What – _what_ just happened?" Heero demanded after wiping his mouth.

"I'm pretty sure Relena just grew up," Duo told his brother. He clapped him on the back. "So, how was it? Everything you dreamed it would be?" He winked at Wufei. "Did she use tongue? Did she have on cherry lip gloss? What about –"

"Stop it right now," Wufei warned, his voice a low growl.

Duo exchanged a grin with Trowa, who appeared to be almost amused by the event as Duo himself was.

Heero took a healthy sip of his drink.

"I hope that never happens again," he muttered, still looking a little disgusted.

"It had better not," Wufei grumbled.

Duo rolled his eyes. "Come on, it couldn't have been _that_ bad."

"It was worse," Heero assured him. He shook his head and then sighed, seeming to resign himself to the reality of having been kissed by Relena.

"I saw you speaking with Mother earlier, did she say anything?" Heero asked.

Duo tensed. "Ah, about you and Relena?" He tried to dodge the question.

"No, about Treize."

"Oh, um, no. She said it was complicated and… her reasons were personal." It was bending the truth a _lot_ for Duo, but it was as close to honest as he could be on the subject.

Heero scowled.

"I should talk to her."

"No," Duo and Wufei said at the same time. Heero gave them an odd look.

"I'm sure it's wrapped up in her emotions over Odin's death," Wufei tried to explain. "I have no doubt that she respects you and Duo. She just – reacted strongly over something. I'm sure she regrets her actions."

"She doesn't," Duo said, and couldn't help the bitterness in his voice.

Heero and Trowa both frowned at the cryptic turn the conversation had taken.

"She _has_ to," Wufei assured him.

"No, she doesn't. I'm pretty sure she'd do it the same way if she could do it over again."

"They aren't talking about the stock shares anymore," Trowa said to Heero.

"No," Heero agreed. His forehead was creased.

"What _are_ you talking about?" He demanded.

Duo sighed.

"Nothing. Just – nothing."

"You haven't even told Trowa?" Wufei asked.

Duo groaned. "No, no I haven't. That was kind of part of not telling anyone!" He scrubbed his face when he noticed the sharp looks that both Trowa and Heero gave him. "But thanks, for making it impossible for me to _not_ tell them now."

Wufei looked completely unrepentant, and Duo realized that he had been manipulated.

"I really do _not_ want to have this conversation at Relena's birthday party," he said when everyone looked at him expectantly.

"McClaren's?" Wufei suggested.

"Yeah, I was kind of angling for the NEVER suggestion."

"Something has been bothering you for weeks," Trowa said. "I haven't asked you about it because I didn't know – I didn't want to push you into anything."

Duo closed his eyes and felt a wave of guilt as he realized that Trowa had probably assumed that Duo's state of general depression these last few weeks was somehow related to him or their relationship.

"No, it's – fuck it. Let's go to McClaren's."

He led them through the guests and back to where a fleet of cabs was waiting to take the drunken guests home. The party had been in full swing for less than two hours, and Duo had only been there for an hour, but he felt no guilt about leaving so early.

They piled into an SUV taxi, with Duo claiming the front seat. As soon as the taxi pulled away and started moving in the direction of the bar, he noticed all three men in the back seat loosen their bow ties or remove them entirely. He rolled his eyes. He found it ironic that the three men who spent their lives in ties and suits were so uncomfortable in tuxes and bow ties, yet he, who despised business suits, loved to wear a tux.

When they arrived at the bar, Duo immediately ordered a scotch on the rocks for himself and took it to the booth in the back that had long been his haven.

The others joined him a few minutes later with their own drinks. Trowa slid in beside him, close enough that their legs touched under the table, and Duo decided to take that small measure of physical comfort. He pressed his leg back against Trowa's, and was relieved when the other man didn't pull away, but instead bumped their knees together.

"So… it turns out that I'm your brother," he told Heero without preamble.

Everyone around the table was silent.

"I'm… assuming you don't mean in a strictly legal sense," Heero eventually said. His expression was completely unreadable.

"Ah, no. I'm talking biologically."

Heero frowned.

"Half-brother," Duo clarified.

"Who?"

"Mom. She, ah… the details aren't important, but she had me and gave me up for adoption. She thought Dad didn't know, but turns out he did, and he adopted me a few years later. And… that's that."

Heero was silent, and Duo looked away from his closed face to Trowa.

"Why were you talking to Relena?" Trowa asked.

Of course Trowa would have noticed Duo running after Relena and talking to her for nearly half an hour, Duo realized. He sighed.

"Well…" he debated whether or not to keep Celia's secret, but then he shrugged. "Fuck it. Turns out Thomas Darlian is my biological father."

"You're Relena's brother," Wufei said, and his voice was filled with the same horror that Duo's had been.

"I know!" Duo tried to latch onto that line, hoping that Heero wouldn't feel the same blinding rage that _he_ had felt when he realized that his mother had cheated on their father with his best friend. From the way that Heero's hand was clenched around his glass, so hard his knuckles were white, Duo knew that it was a lost cause.

"Treize blackmailed her into giving him her shares with the information about Duo's birth," Wufei added for Heero and Trowa's benefit, in case they hadn't connected the dots.

Trowa nodded thoughtfully.

Duo decided that he did _not_ need to clarify that Celia had given in not because she didn't want people to know that she was Duo's mother, but because she didn't want anyone to know about his father.

"Um… so, do you want to say anything?" Duo prompted Heero.

His brother stared at his drink for a long moment before he tossed it back in one swallow.

"No. I – I need some time." Heero stood and walked away without another word.

Duo sighed and leaned back against the booth.

"This would be why I didn't want to tell him," he said Wufei.

The Chinese man scowled, but scooted out of the booth and went after his lover, leaving Duo and Trowa alone.

"Brings back old times, huh?" Duo asked and started to tip his glass towards Trowa's lap.

The other man removed the glass from his hand and set it back down on the table.

"Duo."

He had to swallow against a sudden lump of emotion at the way Trowa said his name, but he looked up into his green eyes.

"I love you," Trowa said, and he didn't need to say anything else.

Duo sighed, and he released all of the tension and negative emotions that had been building inside of him for weeks.

"I can't believe you thought – I should have said something to you."

"Let's go home," Trowa suggested, ignoring Duo's attempt to apologize.

Duo took that to be a sign of forgiveness, and the fact that Trowa has said HOME convinced him of it.

Even though they were back at least two hours than Duo had told Sara to expect them, Duo was relieved to see that Nathalie was already in bed, and that Sara was in the living room reading.

"Thank you for staying with her," Duo told her.

"Of course. I didn't expect you home so early."

Duo shrugged, and then he had a sudden thought. Sara had been with the Yuys since Heero's birth. Did SHE know? Duo refused to think about it anymore, and he couldn't bring himself to ask her.

"Good night," he said to her as she made her way downstairs to the first floor and her apartment.

He turned to Trowa and smiled tiredly.

"Well, we've got the house to ourselves. Feel like re-enacting Risky Business?"

"No, but I do want to get out of this tux." Trowa tugged at Duo's bowtie, loosening it and then using it to pull him close. "And I'd like to get you out of yours, too."

Trowa kissed him, and Duo leaned into the kiss, letting himself forget about everything and just focus on the sensation of Trowa's mouth moving over his own.

"Sounds like a good plan," he said when Trowa pulled away.

"I know," Trowa agreed with a smirk.

* * *

That Sunday, like the one before it, Duo called and cancelled on his mother's brunch. He had also been avoiding the Wednesday night family dinners, and now that Heero knew – he didn't know when the family would get together again.

By Monday he still hadn't heard from Heero, or Wufei, and he was starting to worry about his brother's reaction to the news of their biological relationship. He wanted to believe that Heero was just angry about Celia's infidelity, but the more time that passed the more he had to consider the possibility that Heero was upset by the knowledge that Duo really was his brother.

When he arrived at the office that morning after dropping Nathalie off at school, Trowa was already ensconced in his own office hard at work, and Duo, with a sigh of resignation, went to his brother's office.

Heero was behind the large desk where Odin had once sat, and Duo had a sudden, vivid memory of when he and Heero had been fourteen and fifteen and had rushed in to announce that they had made the varsity baseball team at school. It would have been an impressive feat for any sophomore and freshman - but of course it had become a competition between them for Odin's approval. Duo remembered how Odin had congratulated Heero, but had been much more effusive in his praise of Duo's accomplishment.

"Morning."

Duo sat down in the leather armchair across from the wide desk and patiently waited for Heero to look up from his work. It took a while, but eventually Heero gave in, threw down his pen, and leaned back to look at Duo.

"I don't know what to say to you," Heero said after what felt like an hour long staring contest.

Duo nodded. "Yeah, I figured." He shrugged. "Just – get it off your chest."

Heero looked uncomfortable with the suggestion, but he eventually sighed.

"I didn't go to Mother's yesterday. I couldn't – I can't believe she would do that to Odin."

"Yeah, that part bothers me a lot, too."

"But you a _re_ my brother. You always have been. As much as I'm furious about her doing that – if she hadn't, I wouldn't have you."

Duo had not considered it from that perspective, and he was shocked that Heero had.

" It also helps me put Odin's actions into perspective. I know he loved you – he always considered both of us to be his sons – but now, I think, I can understand why he was so much more demonstrative towards you."

Duo nodded, he had been thinking the same thing.

"Guilt."

"But he _did_ love you," Heero insisted.

"I know, but I agree – he let me win so much because he figured I needed it more."

Heero scowled. "But Mother – all this time. _Thomas Darlian_."

"Right? Such bad taste in men." Duo shook his head morosely.

"And Odin knew. All along."

"Kind of makes me wonder why they even bothered – did you know they talked about getting a divorce when I was fifteen?"

Heero frowned and shook his head in the negative.

"Me either. Mom said they did – and that's when Odin told her that he knew. I wonder – d'you think HE wanted the divorce or her?"

Heero's face was dark. "I really don't want to know."

"Yeah, well – I guess I'm going to go and glare at some paperwork for a few hours." Duo stood. "Do you mind if I join you and Trowa for lunch today? I'm not trying to break up your buddy club – I just, well, it'd be nice to have some company."

Heero frowned. "Do you usually eat alone?"

Duo shrugged. Even after Heero learned that Duo and Trowa were dating, lunch between the two men had remained a daily occurrence, and Duo didn't want to interfere with that. Which often meant that he ate alone – he wasn't about to invite any of the suits at the office to lunch, for fear that they might discuss work – and Duo also didn't like his friends to see him dressed like a corporate sell out.

"Not today," Heero said when Duo didn't elaborate.

"Oh, okay, then." Duo tried to hide his disappointment – but he had _really_ wanted to have the company of his brother and his lover after recent developments.

"I mean – you can eat with _me_ , but Trowa has some mysterious lunch date. He's going to be gone most of the day, actually."

Duo frowned, wondering why Trowa hadn't mentioned anything to him.

"Weird – well, in that case, want to grab some sushi in a few hours?"

"Yes," Heero smiled. "It'll be nice to eat it with someone who isn't trying to avoid vomiting.

Duo laughed and then waved before seeing himself out of the office and making his way to his own personal dungeon.

It was nearly four when Trowa stopped by Duo's office, and the fact that he was grinning from ear to ear clued Duo in to the fact that something was up. Trowa might smirk, and he did grin occasionally – but never before like this.

"Hi," Duo said cautiously.

"Hi," Trowa returned and then sat down in the chair across from Duo.

"So… you've got this grin on your face – and while I like seeing you happy, this is the kind of grin that borders on evil-genius about to conquer the world look."

Trowa nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, well, it turns out that I AM an evil genius." He let the grin slip a little, but there was still a triumphant smirk on his face as he continued. "I told you that I had lunch plans for today."

"Yeah, your secret rendezvous – which forced ME to have lunch with Heero, by the way, and we had sushi. Lots and lots of delicious, raw fish."

Trowa turned a little green, but he continued anyway.

"I had lunch with Une."

Duo frowned. "About Nat? What happened? Is –"

"Not about Nat. And everything is going fine with her adoption. No, we talked about Une's _other_ client."

"Who happens to be…?"

"Treize Khushrenada."

Duo sat up in his chair, suddenly a _lot_ more invested in the cause for Trowa's maniacal grin.

"Go on."

"It turns out, Treize is _not_ an upstanding, law abiding citizen."

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"He's being investigated by the IRS for tax fraud, tax evasion, extortion and money laundering."

"I'm not surprised. I'll bet it's damn near impossible for them to actually find anything solid, though."

Trowa nodded in agreement.

"They've been investigating him for the past ten years, actually."

"Since before he worked for Dad."

"Yes – and as you said, they had a hard time tracking down any solid evidence."

"Which explains why you're so happy."

"I told you before that I interned during law school for the firm Une worked at – and that she essentially made my life a living hell for four months."

"Yeah."

"Part of the reason for WHY she made my life a living hell was because I wouldn't sleep with her."

"Well, you're gay." Duo frowned, not liking the idea of that frigid woman tormenting his lover. "And she's a creepy bitch."

"Well, after all these years, she s _till_ has a soft spot for me."

"I could tell – the way she practically rolled over during that custody hearing. Oh, wait, no she didn't. If that's her _soft_ spot –"

"No, her soft spot would be telling me that she works for the IRS and has been conducting an internal investigation of Treize's assets for the past two years and has accumulated enough information for the IRS to press charges and for them to actually stick this time."

Duo blinked and tried to process the information.

"Wait, wait – she's an undercover IRS agent?"

"Yes, and she's been assembling a case against him. She was also very grateful for the information I gave her that Quatre sent us. But there's a catch."

Duo groaned.

"Of course there's a catch! What is it?"

"Recently, Treize acquired a substantial share of Yuy Inc. stock, without purchase or sales tax – or reporting it for the purposes of income tax. If the IRS knew WHERE that stock came from, it would be the impetus they need to press charges and arrest him."

Duo frowned. "So you're saying that my mother needs to tell the IRS that Treize blackmailed her into giving him her stocks."

"Yes."

"Which means that it's going to be used as evidence in court, which means that it's going to be public knowledge. Which means that people are going to investigate and find out that Darlian is my father."

"Yes."

"Fuck me." Duo scrubbed his face. "She won't go for it. Not if it means exposing her _lover_ ," Duo said bitterly.

"Not even to save the livelihood of _both_ her sons? Not even to make amends? Not even to save the legacy of the man who raised you as his own son?" Trowa pressed.

"Well, why don't _you_ ask her, then," Duo growled.

"I will," Trowa assured him.

"What, you're just going to call her up and –"

"Let's go to dinner with her on Wednesday. All of us."

Duo scowled. He had been counting on at least another month of avoidance before having to face the woman who had given birth to him and then spent his entire life denying the fact.

"Duo, this isn't some small thing. He won't get a slap on the wrist. If they can convict him, we're talking fifteen to twenty years in prison, and his reputation will be destroyed. THIS is the justice that you and Heero and Wufei need."

Duo sighed and then picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Heero's office. After a moment his brother answered.

"Heero Yuy."

"Yeah, hey, it turns out that my boyfriend is about ten times cooler than yours – _and_ he's a badass. So, Wednesday night we need to go have dinner with Mom."

* * *

To say that dinner was an awkward affair would have been an incredible understatement, but Duo was very proud of everyone for pretending to have a normal meal in front of Nathalie.

Unlike her sons and their lovers, Celia seemed to be her normal, indomitable self, and she managed to converse with Nathalie as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred a few days before.

Earlier that day when Duo had told Nathalie that they would be having dinner at Celia's house, she had been surprised and excited. Duo felt a pang of guilt when he realized that in avoiding Celia himself, he had also kept Nathalie away from the woman who seemed to wholeheartedly embrace her as a grandchild.

It had been a shock to everyone but Celia when Relena Darlian showed up just before dinner was served and joined them for the meal. When she sat down beside Duo and smirked at him, he had sensed that Relena had something up her sleeve, but he still didn't understand why she was there. Over the years, Relena had joined them for these Wednesday dinners off and on, but not since Heero had been sent off to Macau, and certainly not since his return.

"Well," Celia said when the final course was cleared from the table, "darling, would you mind excusing the adults while we discuss a few things in the library?" She directed the question to Nathalie, who immediately looked to Duo with a frown.

He shrugged. "We shouldn't be too long," he assured her. "You can hang out in my old room and play video games for a while, if you want," he added when she still looked unsure.

Nathalie regarded his old gaming consoles, especially his Super Nintendo, with a mixture of contempt and fascination.

"Okay," she said and then left the table.

Celia rose as well and led them from the room and to the library.

"I imagine that you have spent the last few days preparing this confrontation," she said once Heero had closed the doors and everyone had taken a seat.

"Not really," Duo said. He looked over at Relena.

"Celia invited me," she said, answering his silent question. "We had a long talk on Sunday, and… we've come to an understanding about things." Relena's voice was very firm, and her blue eyes hard as she looked back at the woman who had had an affair with her father.

"Okay…"Duo was pretty confident that he didn't want to know, and was glad that he had NOT been present for that discussion.

"Mrs. Yuy," Trowa spoke up, "you are aware of the struggles that your sons have had with Treize Khushrenada."

"I am," she agreed in a chilly tone.

"There is a very good chance that those struggles can end – immediately."

Celia arched an eyebrow at him.

"Are you suggesting that we murder him?"

"I am," Duo muttered, earning glares from everyone.

"Not at all," Trowa assured her. "There is a very legal way to dispose of him. He's been under investigation from the IRS, and they have assembled enough information that, with the right, key evidence, they can successfully prosecute him and end his career – and his hold over your sons."

Celia frowned.

"What kind of key evidence?"

"Extortion and blackmail."

Celia was silent for a moment.

"You want me to tell everyone about Duo's parentage."

Trowa shrugged.

"I want you to testify that Treize Khushrenada blackmailed you into signing over your stocks – and therefore avoided having to purchase the shares and pay the associated taxes. It's inevitable that the investigation will want to know the extent of the blackmail."

"This family would be ruined by the scandal."

"No, Mother, we wouldn't," Heero spoke up. " _This_ family could would finally be honest. _This_ family _will_ be ruined by Treize if we don't stop him. Everything that my father – that _our_ father," he indicated Duo, "worked for and gave to us will be ruined." He paused and drew in a deep breath. "I can't pretend to understand your motivations for having an affair with Thomas Darlian, and I can't know what your life was like with our father, but I _do_ know that _you_ are the one chance we have of making this right."

"Thomas –"

"My father will accept the consequences for his actions," Relena interrupted. "He has to."

"This is ridiculous. Treize is too well connected. He has the best lawyers and –"

"He does have one of the best lawyers I've ever met," Trowa agreed with a smirk, "and he is well connected. And all of that will be his downfall. The political and economic climate won't allow for this kind of thing to go away. Treize _will_ be prosecuted and he will be convicted for his crimes. IF you help us."

Celia looked at Duo, and it was the first time their eyes had connected all evening. Now that he looked, Duo could see a lot of himself reflected back at him. It was ironic – growing up he had wished that he really was a Yuy – that some accident had happened and he was really their long lost son. But now the knowledge was a burden, and he was terrified that Celia would, in fact, repeat her previous decision and choose Thomas Darlian over her son.

"Very well."

* * *

Thursday morning's board meeting was perhaps the first – and Duo certainly hoped the _only_ – meeting that he had ever looked forward to.

Trowa had spent the previous night at Duo's house, and Duo had been very effusive in thanking the lawyer for his efforts to take down Treize, and the two had gotten very little sleep. Even so, Duo had woken early and dressed with care, very conscious of how he wanted Treize to see him this morning.

He eventually decided on a tan, three piece suit, white dress shirt, and a violet tie. Trowa approved of the look so much that Duo had to dress twice, and Nathalie was half an hour late to school.

By ten, all of the vice presidents had assembled in the large conference room except for Treize. Duo was half convinced that the man wouldn't show, and from the tense way that Heero sat up in his chair at the head of the long table, it was clear that he had similar misgivings.

However, at ten fifteen, just as Duo started to discuss quarterly earnings, Treize walked in and took the open seat beside Relena, a look of completely bored nonchalance on his face.

It was eleven before Duo finished the earnings reports, and most of the board members didn't bother to hide their desire to leave, but Heero held them back.

"Sorry, one more thing," he said, and gestured to the secretary by the door.

In the years to come, Duo would treasure the memory of Treize's face as the large doors burst open and Une, followed by New York City policemen, came bursting in and arrested him. It was a purely theatrical moment – there was no need to arrest him in front of the entire board, in such a public setting, and with so much flair, but the idea had filled Duo and Heero with such glee that they hadn't been able to resist it.

Treize's face went from pale to red to purple as he realized that Une had been setting him up, and the glare he sent Heero could have caused the sun to go super nova.

"Treize Khushrenada, you are under arrest for multiple counts of fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, black mail, and extortion," Une calmly informed him as the policemen handcuffed him.

"As I was saying," Heero continued once Treize had been escorted out, his voice completely calm and not a hint of expression on his face, "I've been looking over Odin's will with my lawyer, and we've decided to nominate a new CFO to the board – Relena Darlian."

The rest of the board was still in shock at what had just occurred.

"I'll second that," Duo spoke up into the echoing silence.

"I'm – what –" There was a sudden burst of chatter as the board members finally vocalized their confusion about seeing Treize arrested in front of them.

"Some of you may be concerned about what just happened," Duo spoke up over them," but, as the CEO, I assure you that Yuy Inc. will _always_ cooperate with federal agencies to investigate and prosecute criminals. None of you need to worry about that." He added a wink, because he could, and because several of the board members had gone pale at his words.

"Shall we put it to a vote?" Relena suggested. "My nomination, that is," she clarified with a sweet smile when the bewildered board members turned to look at her.

When Duo left the office that evening with Trowa, he couldn't help but feel that, all drama and theatrics aside, Odin would have approved of what they had done to Treize. The old man had been proud of his sons, as much as he tried to manipulate them, and he had been proud of the company he had built. The fact that, together, they had saved it, would have certainly earned his approval.

* * *

Up Next: The Epilogue!

* * *

**Chapter 20: Chapter 20**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.

A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie _Two Weeks Notice_ both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.

A/N #2: Thank you so much, everyone who read this story. It was my first attempt at writing in YEARS and it was nice to see so many people interested in following this as it progressed.

A/N#3: IF you really enjoyed the 2x3 dynamic, you might want to keep a look-out for more of my stories, because I really can't seem to get them out of my head. I'm working on _Umbra_ right now, but soon I will be starting work on my next fic, set in the GW universe, a few years after EW. It'll be pretty dark, and I hope pretty good.

**A Little Less Normal**

Chaper XX

Trowa woke up to the gasping sensation of drowning. There was a solid weight on his chest, and his face was wet and getting steadily more wet as Bella proceeded to literally _bathe_ him in kisses.

"I'm up," he groaned and gently shoved her off of him.

She looked up at him with large, adoring eyes and wagging her tail - her wolf tail, as Duo called it. Trowa shook his head and reached out to pet her, scratching that spot just under her floppy ears that had her tilting her head into his palm.

He glanced over to see that Duo was still completely, deeply asleep and he smirked. As usual, Duo had at some point in the middle of the night shifted so that instead of sleeping on _his_ side he was at a crazy diagonal across the bed and his feet were tangled with Trowa's under the sheets.

Bella whimpered slightly.

"Okay, okay, let's go outside," Trowa whispered to her. He stood up and pulled on the pair of sweatpants he kept near the bed.

She jumped off the bed, her landing no longer awkward after so much practice, and led him out of the room. One of Duo's very firm rules about the dog, that first week that she had been brought home, was that under no circumstances would the dog be allowed to sleep with _him_. It could sleep with Bella, or it could sleep on a bed downstairs, but _not_ in his bed. That had lasted all of one night before Duo had given in to her whimpering, opened the door, and ushered her in.

Trowa was grateful for the size of the king bed, because all three of its usual occupants liked to stretch out, and with Bella's size they barely fit some nights.

He opened Nathalie's door and softly whistled.

Two fluffy heads popped up from the mound of covers and regarded him sleepily. Beside him, Bella barked softly, as if to say, _come on_. The two puppies scrambled over each other and the still sleeping Nathalie, jumped off the bed, and scrambled across the floor to them.

Trowa led his pack downstairs and to the back door where he released them to the back yard. After grabbing a cup of coffee, he joined them.

The puppies were sniffing dangerously close to Duo and Nathalie's herb garden, and Trowa had to warn them off before he could settle onto one of the Adirondack chairs and enjoy the early morning quiet. Quiet for about two minutes before the puppies started yapping at each other as they chased each other around the yard.

When Bella had given birth to her litter – on Duo's bed – the braided man had told Nathalie that she could keep _one_ puppy, but the other five had to go. Nathalie had immediately picked a black and white, fluffy puppy whose favorite hobby those first weeks had been to follow Nathalie around and lick her feet. However, as the weeks went by and the other puppies eventually found homes, one puppy, the runt of the litter, was constantly overlooked. Trowa could understand why – whatever strange breeds Bella had in her had honestly made for adorable puppies, except for one. The runt was short haired, where her siblings were long haired, and her coat wasn't spotted but brindled in a crazy pattern of brown, black, white, and gray. The runt had taken to following Trowa around, and by the time she was eleven weeks old and still had no home, Trowa suggested to Duo that they simply keep her. Duo had rolled his eyes and muttered something about bleeding hearts, but given in.

Usually Sara or Duo walked the dogs – Duo particularly liked to take them out at night before going to bed – but Trowa had told Sara that he would take them out in the morning. He enjoyed the chance to relax before the start of his usually long days, and he knew how much both Duo and Nathalie loved to sleep even just five extra minutes.

After twenty minutes, Trowa rose and called the dogs back inside. The puppies immediately took off to go back to bed with Nathalie, but Bella sprawled on the floor near the door, enjoying the warmth of an early morning patch of sun. Trowa rubbed her belly for a few minutes.

"Good morning," Sara said, walking into the kitchen.

"Morning," Trowa looked up and smiled at her. It had been…strange to adjust to being taken care of by a woman nearly old enough to be his grandmother, but eventually he no longer felt like an intruder or a guilty teenager when Sara greeted him in the mornings.

"Big day," she said with a smile.

Trowa sighed and stood. "We'll see."

"Don't tell me you changed your mind! Everything's –"

"No, no, I just – well, I still have to _ask_ ," Trowa said. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Then go ASK," Sara chided him. She gave him a hard look.

"I was going to let him sleep in a little longer."

"Go."

He quailed under her authority and went back upstairs. He brushed his teeth before rejoining Duo in bed. His lover was still sound asleep, laying on his stomach and wrapped in a cocoon of sheets and blankets.

Trowa pulled back the blankets to uncover Duo's back and started kissing his way up Duo's spine towards the nape of his neck.

About halfway there, he noticed Duo start to stir beneath him, and by the time he gently sucked on Duo's earlobe, the other man shuddered and rolled over with a grin.

"Morning," Duo said, looking sleepy and sexy with his bangs in disarray and his eyes filled with lust.

Trowa smirked. "Good morning, old man."

Duo groaned. "Ugh, don't remind me."

Trowa leaned down and kissed Duo's torso, stopping to suck and bite on his flat nipples before travelling lower.

"We have to leave in two hours," Trowa told him just as he reached Duo's naval.

"Or… we could stay here all day instead," Duo pointed out. His hips jerked slightly when Trowa ghosted a hand over his thigh.

"Your mother would kill you. It's _your_ birthday party."

"Yeah, which means it's _my_ birthday. I should get to spend it how I want. And I want to spend it in bed with you."

Trowa licked the underside of Duo's very firm and very aroused penis, causing the other man to groan.

"That would sort of ruin _my_ plans for the day," Trowa commented idly.

"And what would those be?" Duo gasped when Trowa closed his lips over his erection and drew the entire length into his mouth.

Trowa released him and looked up Duo's body into hooded eyes.

"I thought we would go to your birthday party, I'd help Howard with the grilling –"

" _You_? He said you could help him?"

Trowa nodded.

"But – that is – God, I hate my life."

"Anyway," Trowa continued, lightly stroking Duo's erection as he talked, "I hoped we could leave early, after the toasts, and run home to grab a few things before we got on a plane and went to Paris for a week."

"Paris?" Duo asked, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "What's there to do in Paris?"

"Since the Louvre is out," they had taken a trip back to Paris for Christmas with Nathalie, and Duo had politely but firmly been told by the Museum security that he was _not_ allowed inside, ever again. "I thought we could do a little sightseeing – at places you _are_ allowed entrance to, maybe Versailles? – but mostly my plan was to spend a week in bed with my fiancé."

"A week in bed? Well – wait, did you say your fiancé?"

"Yes," Trowa said, looking at Duo closely for his reaction.

"But Trowa, you don't _have_ one of those." One corner of Duo's lips was lifted in the beginnings of a grin.

"Well, being the great catch that I am, I figured I could just pick up some guy while you were buying a croissant or something," Trowa joked, more to ease his own tension than anything else.

"Or you could just ask _me_ ," Duo pointed out.

Trowa smiled and moved up the bed to lay beside Duo, their faces only a few inches apart.

"I know we've talked about the future, and agreed that we want to spend our lives together," Trowa began, "but I would be _honored_ if you would join me in making our partnership a formal commitment."

"With a ceremony."

"With a ceremony. I'd like to become your husband in front of our friends and family. And Wufei."

Duo chuckled at that. "You'd have to wear a tux…"

"They're growing on me," Trowa told him. Which was almost the truth – he had worn them so often over the past year that he was, at the very least, becoming _accustomed_ to wearing tuxedos. He would never share Duo's pleasure in the formal wear, but at least he didn't grouse about it as badly as Heero did now.

"Well?" Trowa prompted when Duo still hadn't answered.

"This is something that you want?"

Trowa ran his thumb over Duo's jaw and to his lips.

"Yes. More than anything else."

Duo grinned and leaned forward to kiss him.

"Me too," Duo said. He crawled onto Trowa's body and straddled his hips. "But, as the birthday boy, I _really_ think I have the right to spend at _least_ the next hour in bed with my fiancé before we do things your way."

"I've no objection to that," Trowa assured him after another kiss.

It was two hours later when they finally showered, dressed, and made their way downstairs. They would be late to Duo's birthday party, which Celia had moved to an earlier time to accommodate the plane tickets Trowa had purchased for that evening, and Trowa was _sure_ she would voice her displeasure over their tardiness.

Nathalie was already downstairs and curled up amidst the dogs on the couch, watching television. At the sound of their footsteps, she turned her head and shot Trowa a questioning look. He winked at her.

"Hey, kiddo, ready to go?" Duo asked.

"If you are – it _took_ you long enough. I thought we'd be stuck here all day." She turned off the tv and squirmed out from under the dogs. "Is something wrong? You look all serious." She directed that to Duo, who, in fact, was frowning slightly.

"Well, um, Nat, how would you feel about Trowa and me getting married?"

Her jaw dropped. "But – but what about me? Does this mean you don't love me anymore?"

Duo looked stricken. "What? No! Of course I love you! I always will –and Trowa loves you too!"

"But, he's so… tall. Things will never be the same again!" Nathalie complained and then started to giggle.

Duo looked at her, and then spun to take in Trowa's amused smirk.

"You – she's kidding, right?'

"I am tall."

"You're like an inch and a half taller than me, LeBron, don't get delusions of grandeur." Duo's voice betrayed his irritation.

Trowa kissed him – a tactic he had learned to be one of the best and quickest ways to ease Duo's temper.

"I talked to her a week ago, to make sure it would be okay. She's just kidding."

Duo pulled away to glare at Nathalie.

" _Not_ funny," he told her.

She smirked. "It was a little funny," she argued.

"It was a lot funny," Trowa said.

"I hate you both," Duo muttered. "It's _my_ birthday and I really don't appreciate all of this laughter at my expense."

Sara came into the room then.

"You have to be leaving now or you will be intolerably late to your party," she told Duo.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going."

Sara looked at Trowa, who nodded at her. She smiled and then hugged Duo.

"Happy birthday, darling," she said and then squeezed Trowa's shoulder as she walked back into the kitchen.

"And you told Sara too," Duo guessed as they left the house and piled into the Prius.

"Of course."

"And did she also approve?"

"Of course. She loves me."

Duo smirked.

"Yeah, I can't blame her for that."

By the time they finally arrived at the Hamptons, a fair number of guests had already arrived, and Trowa could anticipate the level of irritation that Celia would direct at him for not having Duo arrive on time.

Sure enough, Duo's mother greeted them with a stormy look, and was about to say something when Duo grinned and kissed her on the cheek.

"Mom, you'll be happy to know that Trowa's going to make an honest man of me. We're engaged."

Celia, who only knew that Trowa had wanted to take Duo to Paris for his birthday, looked shocked and then delighted by the news.

"That's wonderful!" She hugged Duo and then Trowa. "Congratulations. Now please go mingle with your guests before they forget _why_ they came here in the first place." She shot Trowa a sharp look, and he hung his head in apology.

Nathalie spotted Catherine, Luc, and Lilly, and took off to join her friends.

"And she's okay with us leaving for a week?" Duo asked.

Over the last year, Duo and Trowa had taken a handful of weekend trips, and with each trip Nathalie's separation anxiety seemed to diminish, but Trowa knew that both Duo and Nathalie were leery of an extended time apart from each other.

"Yeah, she's going to stay with Catherine. I think she'll do better there, for a week, than with Celia."

"Good thinking – it'll feel like a vacation for her instead of getting left behind."

It was clear that Nathalie was telling them the news about their engagement. Catherine left the children to come over to them.

"And did _she_ approve?" Duo asked.

"I didn't ask her," Trowa told him. He had been on the fence about it, but in the end had decided that, like Heero and Wufei and Hilde, Catherine could learn about their engagement after the fact. His sister had warmed to Duo, but Trowa wasn't willing to risk the potential fight that her disapproval might result in.

"Happy Birthday, Duo," she said and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Cathy," Duo said and hugged her back.

She pulled away and looked up at Trowa.

"I hear that congratulations are in order."

Duo grabbed Trowa's hand in his own.

"Yep – he broke down and asked me to marry him."

"He – you asked Duo?"

Trowa frowned. "Yes, I did."

"Nat didn't say – well, that's fantastic news!" She kissed Trowa, and he could sense that the knowledge that HE had asked Duo and not the other way around made her happy. She kissed Duo.

"Do you have a date picked out?"

Trowa had not given any thought to it. He looked over at Duo, who shrugged.

"There's no rush. It'll happen."

Catherine smiled and then looked at Trowa and gave a happy sigh.

"I'm so glad for you, Trowa."

"Thanks, Cathy."

"Well, I should go and let you talk to the others."

Duo pulled Trowa with him, clearly planning to make him suffer through greeting the guests.

By the time that Heero and Wufei showed up twenty minutes later, Trowa's face was starting to hurt from smiling at complete strangers and thanking them.

"Did you tell either of them?" Duo asked him as his brother and his lover started towards them.

"No. I thought you would like to tell Heero. All he knows is that I needed the week off to take you away for your birthday."

Duo nodded and then smirked.

"Happy birthday, Duo," Heero greeted when they walked up. "Trowa."

"Heero, Wufei."

"Happy birthday, Duo," Wufei echoed.

"Thanks guys. It's been okay so far, you know. Yankees won last night, so that puts them two games ahead of the Red Sox, and I got to sleep in this morning, and Mom didn't make me stand beside her to greet people, and it turns out Trowa's taking me to Paris to celebrate our engagement."

Wufei caught on quicker than Heero, and he smirked broadly.

Heero, however, scowled.

"C'mon, Yuy," Wufei jabbed him in the ribs.

Heero growled and dug out his wallet and pulled out a crisp, hundred dollar bill and shoved it into Wufei's hand.

"Wha -?" Duo asked.

"When Trowa asked for the week off I knew something was up. I bet Heero that he was going to ask you to marry him."

Trowa arched an eyebrow at Heero's still disgruntled look.

"I thought you'd just propose to him at a baseball game," Heero grumbled.

Trowa smirked. "I thought about it, but the Yankees and Red Sox don't play again until late June… and this seemed like the right day to ask."

"Plus he didn't want to get his ass kicked for kissing a guy at Yankee Stadium while dressed like the Red Sox souvenir shop," Duo muttered.

"You know that he's my brother," Heero said, his voice serious.

"Yes," Trowa agreed.

"Which means, that, unfortunately, if you get tired of him, I have to take his side. As much as I might want to take yours." Heero's voice was serious, but his eyes were filled with amusement.

"Hey! I'm standing right here."

"I know," Trowa agreed with a sigh. Duo punched his shoulder.

"I should go help Howard," Trowa said, noticing the bright floral print shirt making its way to the grill.

Trowa walked away from the group, but Heero followed him.

"But, seriously, if you break his heart, I'll kill you," Heero told him in a conversational tone.

"Why have you never threatened me before?" Trowa asked.

Heero shrugged. "By the time I knew you two were dating it was too late to really be effective, so I've been saving it for the right time. But I am serious."

"I know."

Heero nodded, slapped his shoulder, and left him to rejoin Wufei and Duo.

Trowa spent the next hour assisting Howard at the grill, grateful to relax in the older man's company while he watched Duo navigate through the dozens of people at his party.

He watched in amusement as Hilde greeted him and then threw herself at him and kissed him when he told her about the engagement. He watched in horrified sympathy as Relena squealed at the news and started to list ideas for the ceremony. He watched in anticipation as Thomas Darlian approached him and then shook his hand at the news.

The last year had been tumultuous, to say the least. When the truth of Duo's parentage was inevitably leaked to the press during Treize's trial several months ago, Celia and Thomas had been hounded by gossip columnists for two months before the news cycle picked up some new juicy gossip. Thomas and his wife remained married, which Trowa knew had devastated Celia.

Thomas and Duo's relationship continued to be uneasy, although Thomas now made an effort to at least be polite to him, and was actually friendly if Relena was present to oversee the interaction.

Trowa knew that Duo would have preferred to ignore his relationship with Thomas Darlian, and that any interaction with the man usually set his teeth on edge.

By the time that the guests took their seats to begin dinner, Trowa was confident that everyone had been personally informed about their engagement. He was surprised and pleased that everyone had seemed genuinely happy for Duo.

"Most of you already know this," Celia began her toast a few minutes later, "but today is a very special day indeed. It is Duo's thirty-first birthday, and also the day of his engagement to Trowa Barton. My son deserves every happiness in life, and I know that Trowa will devote himself to ensuring Duo's happiness. I look forward to you joining our family."

There were cheers from the crowd, and Duo took the chance to lean over and kiss Trowa.

"I promise not to make this speech as long as last year," Heero said when he stood.

"Thanks!" Duo taunted him. Heero smirked back.

"This past year has been one of changes and challenges. My brother and I lost our father, and Duo had to leave behind his life as a teacher to help me safeguard our father's legacy. It was a role that he filled – if not with pleasure, then with determination, strength, and integrity. And it is with great pleasure that, today, I officially fire Duo as CEO of Yuy Inc."

"Thank God!" Duo rose and clasped Heero in a bear hug. The assembled guests laughed.

"He will be replaced by the infinitely more willing Wufei Chang, but, this isn't a board meeting." Heero sobered. "Last year I delivered a brief list of my brothers accomplishments, but I think his ego's big enough this year, so I'll skip over those and just say this. Duo is an amazing man, a great brother, a terrific father, and I am confident, he will be a wonderful husband. Happy birthday, Duo."

"Much shorter than last year!" Duo agreed with a laugh.

"Oh, one more thing," Heero said, rising just as he sat. He smirked at Trowa and then looked down at Wufei beside him. He tugged on his hand until he stood up beside him.

"Not to steal the spotlight from Duo, but, since we're on the topic of weddings, I'd like to tell you all that Wufei Chang and I were married two weeks ago."

Duo's jaw dropped, and even Trowa was taken aback. HOW had Heero or Wufei not mentioned this to him? He saw both of them every day.

"That son of a bitch. He just _had_ to win this, too," Duo muttered.

Trowa laughed. "You're seriously taking this as a competition?"

"No, I just – well –"

"If you want to beat them at eloping, we could get married next week in Paris."

"You're just trying to get out of wearing the tux."

"Maybe."

Duo grinned and kissed him.

"Nope. We'll just have to beat them by having the most badass wedding imaginable."

* * *

C'est Fini!

Thanks everyone for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. I had a great time writing this, and I really enjoyed the feedback you all gave me and knowing that other people cared about Duo and Trowa's happiness as much as I did.

Peace.


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